Alternative to PFAS Ban: Impact on the Systems and Implementation Challenges

In early of 2023 the European Union began the process of banning the so-called Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, with a total elimination forecast for 2035. Currently, the refrigerant gas used by automakers is the R1234yf, a substitute for the R134a as a refrigerant with zero degree of ozone layer destruction, developed to meet the European directive 2006/40/EC that came into force in 2011. It requires all new car platforms for sale on the continent to use a refrigerant in their air-conditioning system with a Global Warming Potential below 150. The alternatives studies for the replacement of R1234yf are R744 (CO2) and R290 (Propane). The first is characterized by being a non-flammable gas and has a working pressure of 6 to 12 times higher than the current one. The second has the characteristic of having working pressure similar to R1234yf, but it is a highly flammable gas. This work focuses on the analysis of the two alternative gases to R1234yf, exploring their characteristics, detailing their impact on the systems, and discussing the challenges for the implementation of each of them.