US: Final approval from US authorities has paved the way for Honeywell's new HFO-based Solstice LBA to be adopted by Whirlpool in the insulation of all its US-manufactured refrigerators.
Whirlpool Corporation is the first refrigerator manufacturer in the US committed to incorporating this new class of blowing agents into its products. In Europe, Solstice LBA registration under REACH is in progress.

With a GWP of under 7 and a near drop-in replacement for HFC blowing agents, it also offers cost benefits and is non-flammable, providing safety advantages over hydrocarbon blowing agents. Whirlpool's decision to use the new blowing agent follows final approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency under its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) programme.

Honeywell Solstice LBA (formerly known as HBA-2) is said to offer an 8-10% improvement in efficiency over refrigerators tested with hydrocarbon blown foam insulation, and a 2% improvement over 245fa, currently the most widely-used foam blowing agent in the US.