The Chemours Company announced the development of a low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant retrofit approach for the automotive aftermarket. The new approach allows vehicle owners and service technicians to safely and effectively retrofit legacy R-134a refrigerant in a vehicle with the more popular, low GWP Opteon YF (R-1234yf) refrigerant.
"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 and 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.”
Opteon YF was developed as a replacement for R-134a in newer systems, and Chemours has continued to push for widespread adoption of the alternative. According to the company, R-1234yf is in use in around 250 million vehicles, and its Opteon portfolio will eliminate an estimated 325 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2025.
“While many countries have transitioned to lower GWP refrigerant technologies, millions of vehicles remain on the road using R-134a,” says 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.”
