Honeywell Solstice™ yf refrigerant - Mobile Air Conditioning Refrigerant

Environmental Impact Environmental Impact Fact Sheet
Solstice yf refrigerant A refrigerant that has been specifically developed for mobile air conditioning in vehicles and can be used globally. It is reliable, has undergone intensive testing, and is energy and cost efficient.
GWP The GWP (Global Warming Potential) indicates how much a material can contribute to global warming compared to CO2.
Solstice yf refrigerant has an ultra low global warming effect. The GWP is 4 - significantly below the EU threshold of 150.
Directives and Regulations in the EU
1907/2006/EG (REACH; Category 1000+ p.a.)
Guidelines for Testing of Chemicals
Possible Environmental Impact of Refrigerants Environmental impact generally occurs when the product leaks from the equipment.
Solstice yf refrigerant has the lowest lifecycle climate performance compared to CO2 and HFC-134a, regardless of region. Calculations were made based on model tests for climates in Phoenix, Arizona; Frankfurt, Germany; Tokyo, Japan; and Athens, Greece. Results were presented by the JAMA-JAPIA consortium at the 2008 SAE Alternative Refrigerant Systems Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona in June 2008.
Emissions Similar to all other refrigerants - no matter whether they are natural or synthetic - it is possible that Solstice yf refrigerant can emit from equipment. These emissions would have an impact on global warming.

There is a distinction between direct emissions, those caused by leaks, and indirect emissions - those caused by energy consumption when the equipment runs with the refrigerant. This would be, for example, the amount of fuel used to run the air conditioning system.
Direct Emissions Direct emissions via leakages in the equipment have been minimized as part of the F-Gas Regulation. High quality and safety standards during production and across the whole value chain have tremendously improved. Containment and disposal of Solstice yf refrigerant also avoids subsequent emissions. In case of an emission, the impact will be very small - due to the GWP of only 4, compared to 1430 for R-134a currently in use. Moreover, the charge size for Solstice yf refrigerant has been reduced by as much as 50%, thus further reducing the absolute quantity that can be emitted.
Indirect Emissions Using Solstice yf refrigerant will have a positive impact on indirect emissions, because the fuel consumption will be lower than with other alternatives.
Global Warming Potential Solstice yf refrigerant has a GWP of 4. This is an ultra-low GWP and well below the threshold of the EU MAC Directive (150).
Solstice yf refrigerant can be recovered and reused by properly trained technicians. If it emits into the atmosphere, it stays for only 11 days, and will decompose and lose its potential to contribute to global warming.
Environmental Characteristics Solstice yf refrigerant reacts in the atmosphere via natural processes. In connection with hydroxy radicals (OH radicals) - products that play an important role in reducing air contamination - trifluoric acid (TFA), hydrofluoric acid (HF) and CO2 can be formed. The levels generated from the use of Solstice yf refrigerant in MAC are not expected to raise concerns.
TFA TFA is a natural material that exists in large quantities in the ocean. It stays stable under normal conditions.
The use of Solstice yf refrigerant in MAC is not expected to result in a significant increase in TFA levels, and is expected to be substantially below the Predicted No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) thresholds.
HF HF will be washed out of the atmosphere and reacts with calcium sulfate (gypsum) to form calcium fluoride (very stable) and sulphuric acid (dissolves in water).
CO2 The CO2 quantities are very low. CO2 degrades via photosynthesis and the carbon cycle.