What are the advantages and disadvantages of using HFO-1234yf refrigerant in automobiles?

Answer 1

advantages:

- Will help to reduce emissions of high Global Warming Potential Hydrofluorocarbon 134a refrigerant currently used in Mobile Air Conditioning Systems (MACS), due to the short atmospheric lifetime and extremely rapid breakdown of the gas in the environment;

- (for DuPont and Honeywell shareholders) May yield windfall profits if policymakers are duped into believing that R-1234yf is a better solution than hydrocarbon refrigerants;

- Should build greater acceptance of flammable refrigerants in MACS, and enable environmentally benign, highly effective, safe and cheaper natural hydrocarbon refrigerants to compete on a more level playing field.

disadvantages:

- Will be extremely expensive;

-Is very complicated and energy intensive to produce, and is highly likely to be only produced by DuPont and Honeywell, who have made it very clear they expect to make substantial profits from the introduction of this gas;

- Has unknown environmental impacts from degradation by-products, including Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA), likely to include increasing toxicity in inland lakes, and a possible contribution to oceanic acidity levels;

- When burnt, or exposed to heat, degrades into extremely toxic by-products of thermal decomposition, including hydrogen fluoride, lethal to humans at concentrations as small as 30ppm, and carbonyl halides, or phosgene, popularly known as nerve gas;

- Is highly likely to result in severe injury and fatalities of vehicle occupants and emergency service workers from engine bay fires, and from anyone exposed to fumes from such fires that may occur in enclosed spaces such as underground carparks or tunnels;

- When burnt, may also lead to the production of the very high GWP and extremely long lived greenhouse gas CF4;

- Is providing a significant distraction from the availability of hydrocarbon refrigerants, by far the most suitable solution to the problem of high emissions of HFC134a.