GEANT CASINO has chosen Forane® 427A, the product of Arkema R&D’s innovation, to replace the R-22 fluid in the central refrigeration plant of one of its hypermarkets.

R-22 is a fluid from the HCFC(1) family used for many years in air-conditioning and refrigeration applications.
Like all HCFCs, R-22 is regulated by the Montreal Protocol on the protection of the ozone layer. In Europe, R-22 is subject to Regulation n°2037 / 2000 which bans the storage and use of virgin product for the maintenance of existing equipment after December 31st 2009.
On the strength of its R&D’s innovation, Arkema anticipates regulatory trends and meets the needs of the market by expanding its product range with Forane® 427A. The R-427A designation has been registered and granted officially by ASHRAE(2) to the blend marketed by Arkema, known up to now by its development name Forane® FX100.
Attracted by the product’s retrofit simplicity and inherent qualities, the Casino Group chose Forane® 427A to replace R-22 in the central positive refrigeration plant of its hypermarket GEANT CASINO de Gap (France / Hautes-Alpes). The plant required no modification during the substitution, except for replacing the original oil by a POE(3) oil. The anticipated level of technical performance was soon reached.
An HFC(4)-only refrigerant fluid, Forane® 427A can be used in a wide range of air-conditioning and refrigeration applications. It allows optimum operating conditions to be achieved, close to those obtained with R-22, without the need to thoroughly rinse the circuit. Additionally, apart from a nil ODP(5), Forane® 427A features one of the lowest GWP(6) indices among refrigerant fluids available for the retrofit of equipment running on R-22.
With Arkema’s Forane® 427A, it is now possible to combine environmental protection with operating efficiency and straightforward use.

The world’s second leading producer of Fluorochemicals, Arkema operates four industrial sites on three continents: Pierre-Bénite in France, Zaramillo in Spain, Changshu in China, and Calvert City in the United States. Marketed under the tradename Forane®, the products manufactured in these four plants serve the refrigeration and air-conditioning (building and automobile), insulating foam, solvent, and aerosol industries.
     
(1) HydroChloroFluoroCarbon
(2)  ASHRAE: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
(3) POE: PolyOlEster
(4) HydroFluoroCarbon
(5) ODP: Ozone Depletion Potential
(6) GWP: Global Warming Potentia

A global chemical player, Arkema consists of 3 coherent and related business segments: Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals, and Performance Products. Present in over 40 countries with 17,000 employees, Arkema achieves sales of 5.7 billion euros. With its 6 research centers in France, the United States and Japan, and internationally recognized brands, Arkema holds leadership positions in its principal markets.