Like Carbon Dioxide, hydrocarbons such as isobutane R600a were widely used until the commercialization of CFCs and HCFCs, both in domestic and industrial contexts. Today, they are regaining strong interest as they do not contain fluorine or chlorine and are environmentally friendly. Almost all domestic refrigeration devices currently on the European market are powered by hydrocarbons.
Like Carbon Dioxide, hydrocarbons such as Isobutane R600a were widely used until the commercialization of CFCs and HCFCs, both in domestic and industrial contexts. Today, they are regaining strong interest as they do not contain fluorine or chlorine and are environmentally friendly. Almost all domestic refrigeration devices currently on the European market are powered by hydrocarbons.
The use of hydrocarbons for refrigeration brings the great advantage, in addition to excellent heat transport properties, of being able to use mineral oils (MN), thus avoiding problems associated with moisture linked to the use of synthetic lubricants. In the past, one of the strong criticisms against hydrocarbons was their danger as fuels due to their pronounced flammability.
Today, the danger of systems operating with hydrocarbons is very low, thanks to the reduced quantity of fuel present in the devices and the provisions of the EN378 standard (Refrigeration systems and heat pumps – Safety and environmental requirements).
GWP3
