International. Following the recent announcement of the new study to verify the safety of R1234yf as a car coolant, SAE International engineers are now promoting re-evaluating aspects of CO2 as an alternative.
The call came from saE International president Frank Klegon in response to statements published in local media by Volkswagen owner Ferdinand Piech, who said that "CO2 is the right coolant." All these events are known since the manufacturer Daimler rejected the R1234yf due to safety problems.
SAE invited technicians from vehicle manufacturers to evaluate CO2 as a replacement for R134a. However, Klegon commented that "the implementation of CO2 as an automotive coolant is not without technical problems."
In the United States, they found that the use of CO2 poses risks that were lower or comparable to the risks posed by other acceptable substitutes. In addition, in the case of a CO2 leak in the passenger area, it places the maximum short-term exposure limits of 3% (30,000 ppm) with an average of more than 15 minutes with a maximum limit of 4% in the passenger breathing zone.
EPA reports reveal that exposure to more than 4% (40,000 ppm) of CO2 is likely to cause discomfort and signs of intoxication in the driver and that it can generate problems or risks for passengers
