HFO-1234yf is a new class of refrigerants known as hydrofluoroolefins. These refrigerants are similar to HFC refrigerants except that they have a much much lower Global Warming Potential number. This is done by creating a double carbon bond within HFO refrigerants. This double bond is easily decompable in the environment if the refrigerant is leaked or vented. 1234yf is the first of these class of refrigerants and will be used in automotive applications to replace R-134a 1. What applications will use 1234yf? Mostly it will be automobiles that use 1234yf. Eventually we will see medium duty and even heavy duty vehicles come over to the YF side as well.
2. Why are we switching refrigerant again for automobiles? We are sure most of you remember the days of R-12 refrigerant. R-12 was phased out back in 1992 due to the Ozone depleting Chlorin that it contained. The substitute that we used for R-12 was the new HFC called R-134a. It was later found that R-134a had a very high Global Warming Potential, or GWP, number. GWP is a measurement of Greenhouse Gases and their effect on Global Warming. A lower GWP alternative to R-134a had to be found and thus we have the new 1234yf.
3. How is 1234yf different from R-134a? 134a is a Hydroflurocarbon refrigerant while 1234yf is a Hydrofluroolefin refrigerant. While these are two separate classes of refrigerants they are in fact very close to each other. The only main difference is that the HFO refrigerants have a double carbon bond whereas HFCs do not..