.svg)
Refrigerants are an integral part of life on industrial and tertiary sites, whether for process needs or for user comfort.
Thanks to their physical characteristics, which make it possible to exploit a compression/expansion cycle (usually combined with a phase change), heat transfer is possible with suitable equipment.
A wide range of refrigerants
These fluids can be classified into different families with different characteristics:
- Inorganic compounds such as ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2), ... ;
- Hydrocarbons with propane, cyclopropane, ... ;
- Halogenated hydrocarbons: chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs);
- Hydrofluorolefins (HFOs);
- Other fluids
The right fluid for the right problem
The diversity of refrigerants means that we come across molecules that differ from one another. These can present risks to human health, fire and the environment.
Ammonia (NH3) is used in industrial refrigeration systems because of its high efficiency, but in the event of acute exposure, it can cause lung and eye irritation. In addition, this molecule is a flammable gas, requiring special preventive measures.
Halogenated hydrocarbons, which pose little danger to human health and are non-flammable (in most cases), nevertheless have major environmental drawbacks.
Some of these fluids (such as CFCs) contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer, while others (such as HCFCs and certain HFCs and PFCs, depending on their GWP or GWP) contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming. In particular, HFCs and PFCs are among the greenhouse gases within the meaning of the Order of January 25, 2016 on greenhouse gases covered by greenhouse gas emission balances.
European objectives
Faced with the growing impact of these refrigerants (particularly halogenated hydrocarbons) on the environment, and in order to meet its targets (reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% compared with 1990 levels), Europe is continually adapting the legislative framework relating to these fluids.
In 2006, following the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the EU introduced European regulation 842/2006 on greenhouse gases, known as the "F-Gas" regulation. In particular, this regulation led to the banning of the fluorinated gases CFCs and then HCFCs.
This was then replaced by European regulation no. 517/2014, also known as the "F-Gas II" regulation. Applicable since January 1, 2015, this regulation accelerates the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by setting deadlines up to 2030 for the use of certain HFCs (with GWP greater than 2500).
Any operator of equipment containing this type of refrigerant needs to keep abreast of the types of refrigerant banned over time, both for new equipment and for the maintenance of existing equipment.
Fourth-generation refrigerants: a miracle solution?
These regulations have inevitably led to the emergence of alternative fluids that are less harmful to the environment.
This is the case with HFOs, which have been in use since the 2010s. These fluids have a very short lifespan, which prevents them from having a harmful effect on the environment. However, a large proportion of these fluids are considered to be highly flammable, the so-called "A2L" fluids. Because of their properties, the use of these refrigerants is subject to special restrictions in premises open to the public.
What to do with used refrigerants?
Waste from certain refrigerants (HCFC, HFC, PFC) recovered from equipment is considered hazardous waste.
Since 2011, halogenated refrigerants have no longer been included among the hazardous waste exempted from the obligation to issue a hazardous waste tracking form (BSD). To support and simplify this formality, a CERFA form has been made available to refrigeration service providers who drain refrigerants. This form is used as both an intervention form and a BSD.