Why add Klea Edge 444A and Klea 456A to my current inventory of refrigerants?

Q: Why add Klea Edge 444A and Klea 456A to my current inventory of refrigerants?

The answer is simple – three P’s – Price, Planet, and Performance. For both shops and consumers, there is a real value proposition for adopting refrigerants R-444A and R-456A. The first, R-444A, is a direct replacement for R-1234yf, and the second, R-456A, is designed to replace R-134a; the two most common refrigerants used today in vehicles in the United States and around the world. So, ideally, any replacement should be compatible with the existing system, including charging equipment, components, and lubricants for an easy transition.

Price

When new products are introduced, the price is often high and then declines over time when competitors enter the market or components become more common and less expensive. With refrigerants, price is all about the availability of building block components. With R-444A and R-456A, Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials (OF&EM) offers the market two unique advantages:

1. Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials owns a fluorspar mine, creating a vertically integrated source of a key raw material of both products (and most refrigerants) - Hydrofluoric Acid (HF)
2. OF&EM plays a key role in facilitating access to key refrigerant components used to manufacture R-444A and R-456A. This resilient supply chain adds to the vertical integration unique to OF&EM, translating into a lower price for shops that can be passed on to the consumer and maintaining a higher margin for shops.

Planet

Regulations aimed at reducing Global Warming Potential (GWP) have created the need for new refrigerants. Consumers appreciate that shops are taking steps to incorporate products and processes that are better for the planet, whether that is recycling oil, using more sustainable products, or incorporating products that protect the air we breathe.

R-456A was developed to have a 50% plus reduction in GWP in comparison to R-134a, reducing direct carbon emissions into the air by that amount. This reduction also extends availability, as higher GWP refrigerants consume more of the allotment (quota) of equivalent carbon. Half the GWP means twice as much refrigerant availability for the same carbon cost.

R-444A meets strict EPA Technology Transition GWP targets with a GWP of 88 and has zero ozone depletion potential (ODP). A 2022 study by Andersen and Nielsen found that R-444A decomposes only negligible amounts of Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA), “a forever” chemical that has been linked to serious health concerns, whereas R-1234yf is known to break down into TFA significantly more — almost 100%.

Performance

In third-party testing done by the auto industry in 2025, R-444A delivers up to 10% higher cooling/heating capacity and efficiency when compared to R-1234yf. By delivering cold air faster and more efficiently, gas-powered vehicles may enjoy improved fuel economy (mileage), and EVs may have an extended driving range.

R-456A – Offers the same superior efficiency and performance as R-134a, however, with greater availability.

Both Klea Edge 444A and Klea 456A, developed as blends, remain within composition tolerance specifications from initial charging to eventual recovery. Remember, when it comes to direct replacement refrigerants, R-444A and R-456A, both are beneficial in terms of Price, Planet, and Performance.

Disclaimer: R-444A and R-456A are provisionally available pending final federal action under section 612 of the Clean Air Act. R-456A currently has provisional authorization for professional and DIY servicing, while R-444A currently has limited provisional authorization for professional servicing, with DIY authorization pending. EPA has proposed under SNAP Rule 27 to list both as acceptable, subject to use conditions, for MVAC professional and DIY servicing, with final action expected by mid-2026. Use conditions and other restrictions apply.