Use Enviro Safe Refrigerants to Prevent Ozone Depletion

Posted by Alyssasiddle on May 31st, 2013

In today’s world where people are educated enough to understand how their actions and the things they use can affect the environment. They now that their actions not only influence their fellow human beings, but also to the overall world. In 1970s scientists discovered that human beings too contribute in ozone depletion. Although it took a long time to know, how exactly did the humans accelerate the process of ozone depletion?

Many chemicals that were and still are frequently used including CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), a compound made from chlorine, fluorine and carbon atoms, is effectively used in sealed systems like refrigerators and air conditioners. This chemical is really efficient when it is used in air tight systems but once it is released in the atmosphere it starts troubling everything around.

Ozone is known to be an unstable atom, which when mixed with chlorine in any form leads to the depletion of ozone layer. Once this was discovered the use of CFC was minimized and was stopped after some time. But the refrigerators and air conditioners still needed a refrigerant that does not harm the environment in any way. This led to the discovery of hybrid refrigerants hydrochloroflourocarbons or cfc replacements. This was successfully used to replace the traditional CFC in all the areas where it was previously used.

Now, the most commonly used environmental friendly R22 refrigerant replacement. It is used in both home and industrial air conditioners and refrigerators. Hybrids were introduced in 1980s but they had to struggle a lot before they came into regular usage. Scientist discovered that by adding one hydrogen atom to CFC compound, it is possible to do the cooling as it was done originally while making it more safe for the environment. So, the usage of HCFC refrigerants started however the problem was they still contained chlorine and could affect the environment till a certain extent.

So, on 1^st January 2010, United States was finally able to make HCFC refrigerants that did not contained chlorine. These refrigerants had zero chlorine content and due to this they were termed as enviro safe refrigerants.  R-22 is most widely used refrigerant today in all corners of the world. The reason why scientist took so long to manufacture a HCFC refrigerant that was free from chlorine was that the newly discovered compounds could not cool the machines as effectively as CFC did. So, making a compound that is both environment friendly and provides the necessary cooling took a long time but finally scientists have succeeded to bring into use. Always use enviro safe refrigerant to prevent ozone depletion.

The author is associated with Oz-chill. Oz-chill is a veteran owned and operated business located in Australia. The website deals with Products like hydrocarbon refrigerant, Hydrocarbon Gas and Refrigerants, 134a replacement etc.

Article Resource : Oz-Chill R290 Refrigerant