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Air Conditioning
Refrigerants
Over the years, the role of chemicals used in automobiles has come under a lot of scrutiny. Concerns over safety and environmental issues like the proper handling and disposal of automotive fluids has placed more emphasis on replacement alternatives and increased recycling. At the center of the debate has been the use of chemicals called refrigerants.
A brief environmental history of refrigerants
R-12 was first offered as a commercial refrigerant in 1931 and was adopted for use in American manufactured autos in the 1940s. The most well known was a DuPont brand called Freon. While R-12 provided a reliable source for AC systems, it required a great deal of care when handling. As with all refrigerants it has the ability to freeze on contact. In vapor form, R-12 is heavier than air and has the ability to suffocate if released in an unventilated space. In addition, it turns into a poisonous gas when coming into contact with an open flame.
By the 1980s R-12 became associated with other Chemicals that scientist linked to the depletion of the Ozone layer and the gradual warming of the earth's Atmosphere. So called greenhouse gases are part Of a chemical class called CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). In response to mounting environmental concerns, the manufacturing of R12 for sale in the US ended December 31 1995. As a result, other alternatives such as and R-134a were developed. R-134a is ozone friendly because it does not contain CFCs. Nor is it flammable or toxic. Other alternatives such as R-22 and others are emerging that are thought to be increasingly environmentally friendly. But protecting the environment does not come without a cost. |
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