We will conduct a comparison between two refrigerant gases: R22 and its replacement, R417A.
- Before delving into the details, it’s essential to highlight that R417A is a replacement gas for R22, specifically designed for medium and high-temperature applications such as refrigeration and air conditioning. It is also suitable for heat pump systems that previously used R22.
- Regarding their composition, R22 is internally composed of a single component without any gas mixture, allowing it to be charged in either liquid or gaseous phase.
- On the other hand, R417A, also known as Isceon 59, is a gas mixture consisting of 50% R-134a, 46.6% R-125, and 3.4% R600 Butane. Due to this composition, R417A must be charged in its liquid phase.
- The main drawback of R22 is its detrimental impact on the ozone layer, leading to severe environmental restrictions on its usage. In contrast, R417A (Isceon 59) does not harm the ozone layer. However, its high Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 2346 makes it subject to environmental restrictions in certain regions, limiting its market usage in the short term.
- Both R22 and R417A are compatible with mineral oils and alkylbenzenes, meaning that when switching from R22 to R417A, there’s no need to change the compressor oil.
- An additional advantage of this change is that no equipment components need to be replaced.
- While there might be a slight decrease in the cooling capacity of the system when using R417A, this difference is imperceptible. Moreover, this new cooling capacity results in lower electricity consumption compared to R22.
- Both R22 and R417A are safe to use, as they are non-toxic and non-flammable.
