Emerson Climate Technologies has approved DuPont Opteon XP40 (R-449A) and XP10 (R-513A) for use in a wide range of its scroll and semi-hermetic compressors.

This approval represents a significant milestone for Opteon refrigerants as it paves the way for use in new and existing compressors for a wide range of refrigeration applications.

Opteon XP40 is a new low global warming potential (GWP), non-flammable replacement for R-404A and R-507 refrigerants, which have been identified in a proposal by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be banned in specific new and retrofit applications by 1 January 2016. DuPont says that XP40 has more than 60% lower GWP and significantly increased energy efficiency compared to R-404A and R-507. Opteon XP10 is an optimised new low GWP, azeotropic, non-flammable replacement for R-134a with more than 55% lower GWP and comparable properties and performance.

Kathryn K McCord, global business director, DuPont Fluorochemicals said: 'DuPont is extremely pleased that Emerson Climate Technologies has approved Opteon XP40 and XP10 for use in their compressors. Emerson’s approval of Opteon XP40 and XP10 for their compressors sets the stage for these new low GWP refrigerants to become refrigerants of choice in refrigeration and other applications.'

Emerson has a reputation of working with refrigerant manufacturers like DuPont to provide guidance to the industry and ensure that component approvals of new refrigerants, like the DuPont Opteon line of refrigerants, stay ahead of regulation.

Speaking of the EPA proposal to ban R-404A and R-507 refrigerants from specific new and retrofit applications by 2016, Rajan Rajendran, vice president, Systems Innovation Center and Sustainability for Emerson Climate Technologies said: 'It is critical that our customers have tested, proven and more sustainable alternatives to refrigerants that have been targeted for delisting. To help our customers lessen the resource constraints and costs associated with a shift of this magnitude, we have been working to develop products and equipment that will not only comply with this delisting proposal, but also those in the foreseeable future.'