Honeywell has announced today (11th October) the availability of Solstice L40X, a refrigerant suitable for medium- and low-temperature standalone applications such as hermetically sealed systems in refrigerated plug-in type-cabinets.
The company says that Solstice L40X provides up to three per cent higher capacity and up to six per cent better efficiency at low temperature than the current, widely used refrigerant R-404A.
By 2022, the European Union’s F-gas regulations will ban the use of refrigerants with global-warming-potential (GWP) greater than 150 in airtight container applications such as plug-in and refrigeration condensing units. Solstice L40X has a GWP of 146, which is more than 96 per cent lower than R-404A. Solstice L40X also has a lower risk of flammability compared to other refrigerant options such as propane, whose usage in such applications is limited to small amounts and can incur extra costs.
Julien Soulet, managing director for Honeywell Fluorine Products in Europe, Middle East, Africa and India, said: “The EU’s F-gas regulations set strict quotas on the total GWP of product that can be placed on the market. Solstice L40X is available now and meets the demands of these regulations, while providing similar or even better performance compared to solutions that are being phased out.
“As companies evaluate the range of options that are available for medium- and low-temperature standalone applications, we expect that Solstice L40X will be an ideal solution that helps them meet environmental targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Solstice L40X (R-455A) is rated A2L by ASHRAE. Leading hermetic compressor manufacturers have validated the performance of L40X in tests over the last 18 months and have found similar capacity and discharge temperature, but with improved efficiency, when compared to R404A. Solstice L40X can be used across many segments of the HVACR industry, including small charge, plug-in type cabinets, condensing units and monoblocks for cold rooms and freezer rooms, small chillers, heat pumps, and chillers.