Williams Air Technologies LLC

HFC32 COMPARED TO 410A REFRIGERANT.
Although the conversion from HCFC refrigerants to HFC refrigerants having zero ozone-depleting potential has been almost completed in advanced countries, the effect of global warming impact for the refrigerant HFC410A is an issue. In emerging countries, HCFC refrigerants are still mainstream. Regulations curtailing the amount used in those countries are moving toward phasing out of HCFCs beginning from the year 2013 under the Montreal Protocol and selection of the next-generation refrigerant is being expedited with propane gas and HFC32 emerging as candidates alternative to HCFCs.

	*1:	Current as of September 27, 2012
	*2:	The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report is used for global warming potential and is used here to compare a global warming potential of 2,090 (HFC410A) against one of 675 (HFC32).
	*3:	In comparison with HFC410A which is a mixture of HFC32 and HFC125, HFC32 can be charged, collected, and recycled without concern for refrigerant composition since HFC32 is a single refrigerant.
	*4:	Countries operating under Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol may have free access concerning the manufacture, sale, and export of manufactured goods in those countries. (However, the waiver excludes countries that were not originally drafted as Article 5 Countries but later changed to developing countries.) Currently, from the perspective of curtailing global warming, selection of a refrigerant having a lesser impact on global warming is being expedited, and wide-ranging discussions concerning refrigerants, which are essential to air conditioners, can be heard in the global arena. HFC32 has drawn attention from overseas as one of effective next-generation refrigerant candidates. In addition to having a lower global warming impact than that of HFC410A, HFC32 can help curtail greenhouse gas emissions originating from energy sources when equipment is in use by its better energy efficiency compared to HFC410A. Furthermore, it is also a refrigerant*3 that reduces the amount of refrigerant needed per air conditioning unit, has the advantage of enabling components, such as heat exchangers, to be made compact by the subsequent refrigerant savings, and is suitable for refrigerant recycling, which is being targeted for achievement in the future.