Honeywell launches A2L competitor to R32
Honeywell has announced the commercial availability of R452B, the lower GWP “mildly flammable” refrigerant alternative to R410A.
Seen as a competitor to R32, R452B is being marketed by Honeywell as Solstice L41y.
Like R410A – a 50/50 blend of R32 and R125 – this new refrigerant uses the same two components but this time with the addition of 26% R1234yf to 67% of R32 and only 7% R125.
This combination provides R452B with a GWP of 676, around 67% less than that of R410A. It is said to offer similar discharge temperatures to R410A and 5% higher energy efficiency. Significantly, its lower discharge temperature/pressure compared to R32 means that discharge temperature mitigation is not required.
Additionally, R452B enables up to 10% lower charge size compared to existing equipment that uses R410A. Honeywell also claims that its broader operating envelope enables the equipment to reach low-evaporating temperatures, outperforming R32 in heating mode and reach higher water temperatures in heat pump and chiller applications.
“Honeywell is working closely with leading global equipment and component manufacturers to optimise Solstice L41y for heat pump and chiller applications, where customers want to achieve high heating/cooling efficiency and water temperature while keeping the re-design costs low,” said Julien Soulet, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Fluorine Products Europe, Middle East and Africa.
The refrigerant is also being marketed by Chemours as Opteon XL55. Last year, Chinese air conditioning manufacturer Midea announced it would be using R452B in its unitary air conditioning units designed for the North American market.
Last month, Honeywell announced the development of R466A, a new non-flammable alternative to R410A in stationary air conditioning systems with a GWP of 733. This gas is not expected to be available until sometime next year.