Ozone depletion and global warming: Case for the use of natural refrigerant - a review

This paper presents natural refrigerants as the ideal, environmentally friendly refrigerants and the ultimate solution to the problems of ozone depletion and global warming. HFC refrigerants are currently the leading replacement for CFC and HCFC refrigerants in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. However, they are equally foreign to nature like CFCs and HCFCs, consequently, strong basis for the need to embrace the use of natural refrigerants as replacement for the halocarbon refrigerants was provided. This paper also analyses potentials of various natural refrigerants and their areas of application in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. Natural refrigerants especially hydrocarbons and their mixtures are miscible with both mineral oil used in R12 and poly-ol-ester oils used in R134a systems. Also, with exception of ammonia, they are fully compatible with all materials traditionally used in refrigeration systems. Finally, this paper has revealed that natural refrigerants are the most suitable long time alternatives in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.