USA: Friday's announcement by engineering body SAE International that new research into the safety of R1234yf for car air conditioning systems has so far failed to find any new areas of concern has been welcomed by refrigerant manufacturer Honeywell.
A statement from Honeywell in the US said that it continued to believe that SAE International's latest evaluation would only reconfirm 'the overwhelming body of data' that R1234yf is safe for use in cars. Referring to the 'rigorous and comprehensive studies conducted in Europe, the U.S. and Japan', Dr Ian Shankland, chief technology officer for Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies, said 'HFO-1234yf is a safe and effective refrigerant, and it is better for the environment.'

With the backing of 13 car manufacturers, SAE International instigated new research into R1234yf in November. This fourth such SAE research project into the suitability of R1234yf as a replacement for R134a was prompted by Daimler's announcement that it would not be using the new refrigerant after the German car manufacturer's own crash tests raised flammability concerns.

On Friday the SAE said 'To date, the majority of the OEMs involved in the new CRP do not believe that any of the new information reviewed will lead to a change in the overall risk assessment.'

'With the exception of Daimler, no OEM in the CRP has provided information that would suggest a concern for the safe use of R-1234yf in their vehicles,' SAE International said.