United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that alternative refrigerants low in GWP – R450A, R448A, R513A and R449A need to be approved for more uses.
The decision, published alongside the EPA's announcement to ban certain high-global warming potential refrigerants starting in 2017, sees R450A free for use in new vending machines and R448A, R513A and R449A for use in certain refrigeration and air conditioning applications. In addition, the low GWP foam agent HFO1336mzz (Z) will also be approved.
R450A
It is a non-flammable mixture of R134a and R1234ze(E) with a GWP of 601. It appears as acceptable for use as a refrigerant in various end uses of refrigeration and air conditioning.
R448A
Non-flammable refrigerant that is considered acceptable as a substitute for use in both new or modified commercial ice machines, refrigerated transportation, independent refrigerated food commercial equipment, supermarket systems, and remote condensing units. It is a multi-component mixture comprising R32, R125, R134a, R1234yf, and R1234ze (E). It has a global warming potential of about 1,390.
R513A
It must be listed as suitable for a variety of new and retrofit applications. These include centrifugal coolers, cold stores, commercial ice machines, domestic refrigerators and freezers, industrial air conditioning and refrigeration process, alternative, screw and displacement chillers, refrigerated transportation, low and medium temperature food refrigeration, supermarket systems and remote lower condensation units, vending machines and water chillers. It is a binary mixture of R134a (44%) and R1234yf (56%), has a GWP of around 630.
R449A
Non-flammable replacement for R404A and R507A, R449A is listed as acceptable new commercial ice machines and retrofit, refrigerated transportation, low and medium temperature food refrigeration, supermarket systems and remote condensing units. It is a mixture of R32, R125, R134a, and 1234yf.
