A new A/C refrigerant joins the global-warming fight

A tri-part blend refrigerant, R-456A, has been introduced as a service replacement for the original refrigerant in R-134a automotive air-conditioning systems. The reaction likely is: Why would anyone want this? A blend would seem to raise all manner of complications; R-134a itself proved safe and works well, so a changeover to R-456A might seem pointless.

That once was true. R-134a had been relatively cheap and it even has even been used to change over systems from R-12, which was phased out for environmental reasons including ozone layer depletion. But a law enacted last year, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, upset that picture.