Refrigerators have become a key appliance of today’s time and are being used in almost every house. Refrigerators have made our lives easier by protecting our foods from getting stale, by keeping the food chilled or freeze for longer period of times.
One of the common things used in the refrigerator is the refrigerant, which is the whole reason why our fridges stay chilled. The refrigerant is filled into the compressor of the fridge and chills the whole fridge through its distinctive quality. In most cases, we have little or no idea what kind of refrigerant has been filled in the compressors of our fridges.
R134a-Fear for future
The most common refrigerant which is put in our fridge is the R134a. However, what the fridge manufacturers/producers do not understand is the fact that; R134amight not be the best refrigerant to use. Let’s take a look at what exactly the R134a is.
The R134a is the chemical compound tetrafluoroethane which comprises of 2 atoms of carbon, 2 atoms of hydrogen and 4 atoms of fluorine. Its chemical formula is CF3CH2F. The molecular weight of refrigerant R134a is 133.4, whereas its boiling point is -15.1 degrees F.
However, studies have shown that the R134a is not the best refrigerant for our fridges as it decreases the overall lifespan of products. A better replacement for our refrigerators is the R600a.
R600a-Much reliable Refrigerant
R600a, also recognized as CARE® 10, is refrigerant grade Isobutane, a natural refrigerant suitable for use in a range of refrigeration applications. The use of R600A is increasing due to its low environmental impact and excellent thermodynamic performance. Today more than 700 million domestic refrigerators globally use R600a.
The R600A is not only non-toxic with zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential), but it also has very low GWP (Global Warming Potential). It is a fact that the latent heat of vaporization of the R600a is much higher than R134a. Therefore, with small change in pressure the temperature of R600a can be easily brought to required cold condition.
Most importantly, the R134a can be very poisonous in high concentrations. R600a, because of its eco-friendly feature is ideally the refrigerant gas of choice in domestic and small commercial refrigerators. It does not contain synthetic substances, and reduce noise level during operations. Moreover, it has a meager impact on the greenhouse effect and a high coefficient of performance, therefore reducing the amount of electricity consumed. The R600a is being used for the most fuel-efficient refrigerators in which the energy efficiency class A + and A ++.By 2020, 75% of the global production will be based on R600a.
