REFRIGERANTS
Are you ready for A2L refrigerants?
Peter Dinnage from Climalife UK looks at where we are with the uptake of A2L Refrigerants.
T
oday, we are fi ve years into a 15- year phase down of HFCs that started in 2015. By 2030 the current F-Gas
Legislation requires the market to have reduced
the CO2 equivalent tonnes being placed on the market by 79%. To meet the phase down timetable the move to even lower GWP needs to quicken and will require the use of A2L refrigerants in greater quantities. The market is changing, with the high GWP refrigerants R404A and R507 now banned in most applications. The very low GWP refrigerants need to be used in new equipment now entering the market, and with the next phase step coming in 2021, the uptake in A2L refrigerants should start to gather pace. The term A2L refers to a safety classifi cation based on ISO 817 and ASHRAE Standard 34 for toxicity and fl ammability. Toxicity is divided into two categories, A
for lower toxicity, B for higher toxicity, whilst fl ammability is divided into four groups; 1, 2L, 2 and 3; assigned depending on several fl ammability parameters including Lower fl ammability Limit (LFL), Heat of Combustion and Burning Velocity. 1 is non-fl ammable, 2 is fl ammable, 3 is higher fl ammability, whilst the 2L category is often referred to as mildly fl ammable and has a requirement that the burning velocity must be 10cm/sec or below. For example, R32 has burning velocity 6.1 cm/ sec and R1234yf 1.5 cm/sec.
Where are A2L refrigerants being used? R32, R1234yf and R1234ze are the most commonly used A2L refrigerants on the market at the moment, but blends containing these refrigerants are also fi nding favour in a growing number of very low GWP applications. All new cars produced for the European market have
been on R1234yf since the beginning of 2017. Whilst it is reported that 37% of the European market for split system AC is on R32 and it is expected to exceed 80% in three years. In the last two years it is also claimed that 70% of all new split AC in the UK are being installed on R32.
Manufacturers are also bringing to market some VRF systems on R2, whilst chillers are available with 1234ze. The transition to lower GWP and A2L refrigerants is under way and legislation will require even greater uptake of lower fl ammable A2L refrigerants as the HFC phase down towards 2030 progresses which each cut in quota.
Table 1 44 March 2020
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