Forane® 134a Refrigerant

Technical Specifications:

Forane® 134a is an HFC, a zero ozone depletion potential refrigerant with properties very similar to R-12. It's used as a pure refrigerant in traditional R-12 applications, including appliances (air conditioners, refrigerators), automotive air conditioning, construction, food processing and storage, industrial refrigeration), and supermarkets. It's also used as a component in refrigerant blends targeted for R-502 and R-22 applications.

In addition, Forane® 134a is being used in the retrofit of many existing R-12 and 500 installations, including centrifugal chillers, semi-hermetic, reciprocating, and screw refrigeration applications, industrial refrigeration plants, and some hermetic compressor applications.

New Equipment

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Many types of equipment have successfully made the transition from R-12 to R-134a. You'll find new standard equipment for applications such as automotive air conditioning, specialized air conditioning or climate control applications, positive-pressure centrifugal chillers, medium temperature commercial refrigeration, refrigeration appliances, industrial refrigeration plants, and transport refrigeration.

Lubrication

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Generally, new equipment will be shipped by the manufacturer with a compatible lubricant already charged. Of course, you should always follow the manufacturer's recommendations. But here are some things to consider:

Miscibility between refrigerant and oil is critical for most equipment designs to ensure oil return to the compressor.

Forane® 134a is not miscible with mineral oils. Various equipment manufacturers recommend polyolester (POE) and polyalkylene glycol (PAG - only for automotive air conditioning) as lubricants for R-134a systems.

POE and PAG absorb moisture quickly. Handle them carefully and avoid prolonged exposure to air.

System Performance

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Manufacturers have engineered new equipment using R-134a to have the equivalent energy efficiency of R-12 systems. However, there are some points to keep in mind:

At evaporator temperatures below 5°F (-15°C), the pressure ratio of R-134a rises in relation to R-12 and capacity may drop off. Always check with the equipment manufacturer for specific recommendations on low-temperature applications.

Equipment manufacturers are using innovations like liquid subcooling to enable R-134a systems to equal the performance of R-12 systems.

Retrofitting with Forane® 134a

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For centrifugal chillers, manufacturers will provide engineering recommendations and retrofit kits to ensure the best performance.

You can successfully retrofit larger refrigeration systems if you remember the following:

The existing lubricant must be replaced with POE. In most cases, the mineral oil or alkylbenzene oil levels must be reduced below 5% of the new POE charge. The residual mineral oil must be flushed from the system before retrofitting.

Check the compatiblity of materials and replace any materials that can cause a leak or failure.

Evaluate the performance of R-134a at the temperature range for your application.

Because it's difficult to flush the oil in a hermetic system, the use of R-134a may not be the most economical choice. Instead, use Forane 409A, an HCFC blend that is compatible and miscible with mineral and alkylbenzene oils ( except automotive air conditoner retrofit where R-134a is the recommended OEM refrigerant).

Note:

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Some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) may have different lubricant, safety, or retrofit requirements. Consult OEM guidelines for details.

Deliveries

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Forane® 134a can be delivered in bulk (Isocontainer(18T), tank-truck (20T), rail car 55T)) or in ton-tank (0.9T), or in pallet of 40 or 100 disposable cylinders (13.6 kg each cylinder). This disposable packaging is commercialized according to local regulations.