Chemical Firms Scramble to Come Up With Refrigerant Alternatives

With an EU requirement that new vehicles sold in Europe must use refrigerants with a "global warming potential" rating of less than 150, chemical companies are scrambling to come up with alternatives to HFC refrigerants by the cutoff of Jan. 1, 2011.

U.S. chemical makers Honeywell and DuPont have joined with French firm Arkema to produce fluorine-based HFO-1234yf, considered a realistic option, and German automotive manufacturers' association Verband der Automobilindustrie also has a viable system that uses highly compressed carbon dioxide.