Chemours develops low-GWP retrofit for R-134a mobile AC refrigerant

The Chemours Company is developing a low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant retrofit for the aftermarket, which will be designed to continue the phasedown of higher GWP hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants.

"Customer satisfaction, safety, and ease-of-use are always top priorities. The development of a simple retrofit approach that builds on existing safe service practices and provides a lower GWP refrigerant option, is a prime example of those commitments in action,” said Joseph Martinko, president of Thermal & Specialized Solutions at Chemours. “Providing a fully integrable approach with matched performance and lower environmental footprint is a win-win for the automotive industry and society at-large.”

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The process will provide technicians with a simple, safe, and cost-effective way to replace the R-134a refrigerant with the Opteon YF (R-1234yf) refrigerant, which was purposely developed to replace the former in new mobile HVAC systems.

“While many countries have transitioned to lower GWP refrigerant technologies, millions of vehicles remain on-the-road using R-134a,” said Amber Stephenson, senior director of technology at Chemours. “Developing a safe, simple, and cost-effective retrofit approach to facilitate the transition to low GWP technology is a critical step forward.”