USA: The team formed by SAE International to perform an updated engineering safety analysis of R1234yf in car air conditioning systems has found the refrigerant is 'safe and effective' for use.
The SAE Cooperative Research Project (CRP) team, which included car manufacturers Chrysler/Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, PSA, Renault and Toyota, evaluated the extensive testing conducted by its members, was subsequently updated with regard to actual collision scenarios and is now complete pending final review.

Based on this conservative analysis, the team has said it believes that R1234yf refrigerant is safe and effective to use in automotive applications.

'The risk of passenger exposure to a vehicle fire associated with this refrigerant is exceptionally remote,' says the group. It maintains that this is consistent with the overall risk levels established by previous research.

The latest research was prompted by Daimler's announcement last that it had developed a new test method that demonstrated an additional risk of post-collision fires in vehicles using R1234yf.

After carrying out numerous additional tests of various types to study ignition of an R1234yf leak in a crash-damaged vehicle, the CRP team has concluded that the refrigerant release testing conducted by Daimler was unrealistic and not an appropriate test to verify the safety of refrigerant applications in vehicles.

'The Daimler testing did not include any actual vehicle collisions or the mitigating factors that occur in an actual collision,' says the CRP team. 'These factors include the quenching effect of front end compartment deformation, the extinguishing effect of steam released due to radiator breakage, and dispersion of the refrigerant from the condenser outside the engine compartment. Daimler's refrigerant release apparatus and nozzle does not represent actual crash-damaged refrigerant lines, and was found to be artificial.'