The Chemours Company has expanded its refrigerants portfolio to include a new line of lower global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, the Opteon XL Series. 

The company is debuting this latest innovation in refrigerant technology at Chillventa this week.

The Opteon XL Series will provide the refrigeration and air conditioning industry with very low GWP refrigerants that help further decrease CO2-equivalents to their lowest level in new equipment designs. Classified as mildly flammable (ASHRAE/ISO Class 2L), these XL products allow much higher charge sizes than other more flammable refrigerants and can be safely used when following the applicable codes and standards.  Based on hydrofluoro-olefin (HFO) technology, they offer similar properties, and in many cases increased performance, compared to the current hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) they are designed to replace.  This combination of performance, safety and sustainability allows for the XL Series to offer the optimal balance of properties to help ensure that new equipment designs function at their highest levels.

The launch of the XL Series follows in the wake of Chemours’ successful launch of its Opteon XP Series at Chillventa 2014. The company predicts that one thousand supermarket and commercial refrigeration systems worldwide will be using Opteon XP40 by the end of 2016, growing to as many as 10,000 systems by the end of 2020.

The Opteon XL Series is currently made up of five refrigerants: Opteon XL10, which replaces R-134a, Opteon XL20 and XL40, which replace R-22 and R-404A/507 and Opteon XL41 and XL55, which replace R-410A.  Each refrigerant has its own unique properties and should be chosen based on the need and application.

Opteon XL10 (R-1234yf) is the lowest GWP Opteon replacement for R-134a in new equipment designs. Opteon XL10 has a GWP <1 and offers similar performance when replacing R-134a in positive displacement, direct expansion medium temperature commercial and industrial applications.

Opteon XL20 (R-454C) is the lowest GWP Opteon replacement, for R-404A and R-407C in new equipment designs.  Opteon XL20 offers similar performance when replacing R-404A and R-407C in positive displacement, direct expansion low- and medium temperature commercial and industrial applications. With a GWP of 146, Opteon XL20 falls under the 150-threshold value in the F-Gas regulation 517/2014 and Eco-design, thus being particularly suited for hermetically-sealed systems.

Opteon XL40 (R-454A) is a lower GWP replacement for R-404A in new equipment designs, but with improved performance and higher cooling capacity. Opteon XL40 has a GWP of 238 and offers the optimal balance of properties when replacing R-404A in positive displacement, direct expansion low- and medium temperature commercial and industrial applications

Opteon XL41 (R-454B) is the lowest GWP Opteon replacement for R-410A in new equipment designs. Opteon XL41 has a GWP of 467 and offers the preferred option when the lowest GWP is required to replace R-410A in positive displacement, direct expansion air conditioning, heat pump and chiller applications.

Opteon XL55 (R-452B) is a low GWP replacement for R-410A in new equipment designs, but with improved performance, the excellent design compatibility with R-410A equipment and lower 2L flammability properties. Opteon XL55 has a GWP of 676 and offers the optimal balance of performance, safety and design compatibility when replacing R-410A in positive displacement, direct expansion air conditioning, heat pump and chiller applications. Its combination of design compatibility and reduced compressor discharge temperature, as compared to other R-410A alternatives such as R-32, enables OEMs to transition their R-410A equipment platform with minimal re-design and capital expenditures.

All of the refrigerants in the Opteon XL Series are currently being tested by leading equipment manufacturers. Codes and standards such as EN378 are also being modified to include class 2L mildly flammable refrigerants. These codes and standards will enable lower GWP 2L refrigerants to be used safely across a wide range of applications.