Q&A

R-1234yf refrigerants for mobile air-conditioning systems have been widely used in passenger vehicles the past several years, but they are just now gaining traction in medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Environmental policies are driving the shift to R-1234yf, which has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of <1 compared to R-134a's GWP of 1,300.

“The significant difference is due to R-1234yf being a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO), a molecule that has a very short-lived atmospheric life,” said Christina Spalding, account manager for The Chemours Company, which makes Opteon YF (R-1234yf) refrigerant. “Where hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) R-134a remains in the atmosphere an average of 12 years, R-1234yf's atmospheric lifetime averages a mere 11 days.”