THE EUROPEAN REGULATION ON FLUORINATED GREENHOUSE GASES
Since 2015 the EU F-gas regulation have aimed to protect the environment and prevent unwanted effects on climate changes by containing the global average temperature increase.
The European Commission has agreed to pursue this intent by following a precise roadmap: the next goal is to reduce fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) emissions by 79% by 2030, arriving at an 80 -95% reduction by 2050.
These EU F-Gas regulations are still relevant for the UK today, despite the UK leaving the EU regulatory framework, and are likely to remain so for some time to come.
What are F-gases?
Fluorinated gases or F-gases (HFCs, PFCs and SF6s) are artificial chemicals used in various sectors: as refrigerant gases for industrial refrigeration, air conditioning and in heat pumps; as blowing agents for foams; as extinguishing agents in fire-fighting systems or also propellants for aerosols and solvents.
F-gases do not contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer, then why limit or ban them? The answer lies in the GWP, the value that indicates the planet Global Warming Potential of these gases.
What is the GWP?
GWP is the acronym for Global Warming Potential and expresses the effect of a gas compared to CO2.
The GWP is therefore the measure that determines the climate-changing power of greenhouse gases, relating the heating potential of one kilogram of gas to one kilogram of carbon dioxide CO2, whose reference potential has the value of 1. The GWP value of these gases is usually very high, even up to 23,000 times higher than that of CO2.
The reduction in the use of F-gases, required by the 2015 European regulation, is accomplished by regulating the quantities of gas in the market through a CO2 emission quota system. Producers and importers consume a quantity of shares proportional to the product between gas quantity and GWP. In this way, the use of gases with a high GWP value is discouraged.
What does the European regulation entail for the simulated environmental testing sector?
Most of the simulated environmental test chambers that need to reach temperatures below -50°C use a type of F-gas that falls within those called HFCs. These refrigerant gases usually have a GWP value much higher than the imposed limit. In derogation from the regulation, their use is allowed according to quotas, only because there is -or rather, there was - no climate-friendly alternative that meets the thermodynamic and safety requirements needed to replace traditional HFCs.
The use of these gases too, however, will be drastically reduced starting in 2030, making the use of an alternative capable of meeting the stringent objectives imposed by the new F-gas regulation necessary also at legislative level.
The only alternative known to date in the ULT (Ultra Low Temperature) refrigeration sector is based on the use of hydrocarbons as refrigerants. Hydrocarbons are extremely flammable, and although their performance is satisfactory from a thermodynamic perspective, there are significant safety limits connected with their use.
The new ACS gas: R472A
A safe solution is therefore required, capable of both preserving the environment by minimizing GWP and maintaining the performance of the HFCs that will soon be banned.
Today, thanks to the assiduous research of our technicians and engineers and the collaboration with Universities, Research Centres and Accreditation Centres, Angelantoni Test Technologies is proud to present the new ACS R472A refrigerant gas, a blend of HFCs with the lowest GWP value ever.
R472A has already obtained ASHRAE certification.
Advantages of the new ACS refrigerant gas
- APPLICATIONS: R472A can be used for Ultra Low Temperature (ULT) applications where the DUT (Device Under Test) is required to reach a temperature lower than or equal to -70°C.
- GWP: The new ACS gas has a GWP that is 98% lower than other gases used for ULT applications, such as R23 and 508b. Putting it in numbers: 14800 for R23, compared to 353 for our R472A.
- SAFETY: The ACS gas is non-flammable and non-toxic, and it is safe even in the event of escapes.
- R472A also passed the WCF (Worst Case Fractionations) and WCFF (Worst Case Fractionations for Flammability) tests. This is confirmed by ASHRAE, which has accredited our gas by assigning it the A1 safety class.
- BETTER PERFORMANCE: R472A thermodynamic properties ensure better performance in the cooling phase, thanks to its high enthalpy jump in the evaporation phase.
- RETROFITTING: Refrigeration plants currently using R23 are 99% compatible with R472A; those machines that are not perfectly compatible can be adapted simply without structural modifications.
- AVAILABILITY: The mixture components are easily procurable, so guaranteeing availability on the market and a long lifetime to our R472A.
- COMPATIBILITY: The laboratory analyses of the mixture components subjected to endurance test showed that R472A is perfectly compatible with the commercial elements used in refrigeration plants charged with R23 or similar. It is therefore not harmful and does not cause abnormal wears or premature aging.
- MISCIBILITY: Miscibility is the property of two or more substances to mix to form a homogeneous solution. Unlike the other available alternatives to R23, R472A is the only gas that makes it possible to use the gas bottle even partially, always ensuring the homogeneity of the mixture both inside the refrigerating plant and in the gas, quantity remained in the bottle, being reusable in the future. This is a great advantage for the customer, since he can manage the gas bottles in an extremely easy and as it is normally the case for other gases commonly used in refrigeration, such as R449A or R452A.
