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[October 2000]
CFC phase out: ATOFINA offers a full range of refrigerant fluids
In accordance with the latest European regulations adopted in June 2000 (revision of 3093/94 regulations), the ban on the sale of CFCs is in force since 1st October 2000, whilst their use for equipment maintenance and refill purposes will be prohibited from 1st January 2001.
In the light of this, ATOFINA has developed a full range of refrigerant fluids both for the retrofit of existing installations and for new equipment:
1. Two fluids developed in-house for the direct replacement of CFCs in existing equipment have now gained worldwide recognition: FORANE® FX 10 (R-408A) as a substitute to R-502, and FORANE® FX 56 (R-409A) as a substitute to R-12 in refrigeration.
2. For new systems, FORANE® 404A and 507 have become reference fluids alongside FORANE® 134a for refrigeration applications, whilst the new FORANE® 407C and FORANE® 410A air-conditioning fluids now complement FORANE® 22 which had been widely used until now.
3. With regard to automotive air-conditioning systems using R-12, carmakers and automotive equipment manufacturers around the world recommend FORANE® 134a, which involves a straight forward conversion procedure.
"Drop-in" fluids like FORANE® FX 10 and FX 56 have been in use since 1995 and offer many benefits, including the use of existing equipment for which the original fluids are now no longer available.
FORANE® FX 56 has been used successfully as a substitute to R-12 in many supermarkets and retail outlets (for medium temperature refrigeration) as well as in refrigerated containers where it was deemed the best solution for the retrofit of R-12 systems in terms of ease of use and cost-effectiveness. FORANE® FX 56 has also been approved as retrofit fluid for R-12 systems by major compressor manufacturers around the world. The performance offered by FX 56 generally exceeds that of R-12, using just 85 to 90% of the weight required with R-12.
FORANE® FX 56 is not suitable for use in mobile air conditioning systems.
As a substitute to R-502, FORANE® FX 10 offers similar benefits to FX 56.
ATOFINA's FORANE® range therefore allows a smooth transition in the CFC phasing-out period for the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry.
For more information go to: www.atofina.com
ENDS