How should the refrigerant market develop in the later stage? Which models will be eliminated?

The second phase of China's HCFC phase-out plan has begun. CFCs refrigerants such as R11, R12, R13, R14, R113, and R114 have all been eliminated; R22, R123, R142b and other HCFCs refrigerants are in the elimination sequence; currently in China’s central air-conditioning market, the more widely used refrigerants R134a, R410a, Although HFCs refrigerants such as R407c are widely used, they are ultimately transitional products. And according to relevant requirements, it will withdraw from the market around 2025.

According to the Montreal Protocol, although the government has proposed a phase-out process and timetable, it has not clearly given a new refrigerant The specific direction of the company has caused many brands to develop new environmentally friendly refrigerants based on their own capabilities and technologies. Second, there is no perfect refrigerant. From a technical point of view, most of the refrigerants in the current market are not in the form of pure refrigerants, and are formulated with multiple varieties, so some problems will occur more or less. For example, R513a, although this refrigerant has zero impact on the ozone layer, it is still a mixed refrigerant and still has problems in terms of flammability.

Third, cost constraints. From the perspective of environmental protection, many existing refrigerants will be discontinued in the future. Before the arrival of new technological innovations, many brands will still choose to use existing refrigerants in view of cost issues. The main reason is cost. The application of new refrigerants takes a long time to verify and be accepted by the market. Fourth, the consideration of interests. The current refrigerants are mainly monopolized by companies such as Honeywell and Chemours (formerly DuPont), and their core technologies and patents are also controlled by them. The R1234ze and R1233zd exhibited at the Refrigeration Exhibition are all produced by Honeywell. Although there is no clear direction for refrigerants, these companies will definitely recommend their technologies and products to industries, enterprises, and governments through their influence, and have a certain ability to influence the formulation of refrigerant directions. Eventually realize the monopoly on refrigerant technology and market, and ensure that the brand's own profits are maximized.

At the 2017 China Refrigeration Exhibition, we have been able to analyze these issues through on-site display. Throughout this Refrigeration Exhibition, new refrigerants such as R290, R32, R1234ze, R1233zd, and R513a are used in brand new products, but even so, there are still many uncertainties in the future.