Refrigerants

Refrigerant is a substance used as a heat carrying medium in the compression cycle

refrigeration system. Its physical and chemical properties enable it to absorb heat from a low
temperature system and discards the heat to a high temperature system. In the olden days,
before the invention of mechanical refrigerating machines, natural ice harvested during winter
or from colder regions and mixture of Ice and salt were used as refrigerants.
The early designs of compression cycle machines used ether (R-610) as a refrigerant, however
it was not suitable for the purpose due to safety reasons and that it requires large compressor
volume. In 1834, Ammonia (R-717) , carbon dioxide(-744), Sulphur dioxide (R-764) and
methyl Chloride(R-30) were introduced and became popular refrigerants in the compression
cycle refrigeration machines. Later, a large number of substances including air (R-729) were
experimented on, with varying success. In the early 1930s, Chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs) were
introduced and were commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems. The use of
CFCs was banned worldwide du to the claims of the effects they have on the stratospheric
ozone layer and global climate change.
In the present days, most of the early refrigerants have been discarded from use due to issues
of safety, thermal stability or lack of the substance. The most popular refrigerants in use today
are R-12, Dichloro-fluoro-methane (CCl2F2) and R-22, Monochloro-difluoro-methane
(CHClF2). These refrigerants are non-toxic, non-flammable, non-irritating and non-corrosive.
They are common in many types of commercial and industrial applications such as freezers,
air conditioning units and water coolers.
The refrigerants are classified into two group: Primary refrigerants which directly take part in
the refrigeration system and Secondary refrigerant which are first cooled by primacy
refrigerants and then used for cooling purposes. The following are as
1. Low boiling and freezing point,
2. High critical pressure and temperature,
3. High latent heat of vaporization,
4. Low specific heat of liquid, and high specific heat of vapour,
5. Low specific volume of vapour,
6. High thermal conductivity,
7. Non-corrosive to metal,
8. Non-flammable and non-explosive,
9. Non-toxic
10. Low cost,
11. Easily and regularly available,
12. Easy to liquefy at moderate pressure and temperature,
13. Easy to locate leaks by our or suitable indicator,
14. Mixes well with oil,
15. High coefficient of performance, end
16. Ozone friendly.