Challenges in Refrigeration and A/C Industries

The main challenges within refrigeration and a/c industries today are selecting refrigerants by application, evaluating health and safety concerns, and determining environmental impact targets. These challenges come into play when companies consider newer refrigerant options to capture better system efficiency, reduce life-cycle cost or lower carbon emissions to lessen the environmental impact. Lubrizol understands the complexity of the industry and embraces the challenges ahead. A deep understanding of our customers’ global reach, their unique environmental impact targets, and the compressor system requirements allow Lubrizol to partner successfully with companies to provide solid lubricant technology and application expertise.

Refrigerant Selection

While it is generally considered favorable to utilize lower GWP refrigerant options, there are many selection variables to consider. One important variable is the sheer number of refrigerant options to choose from. Historically, as refrigeration and a/c industries have shifted away from higher GWP refrigerants such as CFCs and HCFCs, the number of viable options remained manageable. However, as the industries continue shifting from HFCs to lower GWP refrigerants, the number of options has grown considerably. As the number of choices grows, it requires significant efforts to evaluate, research and select the best refrigerant for the application.

A lower GWP gas may significantly reduce the environmental impact of the system but may create new challenges. A refrigerant such as propane, for example, boasts an ultra-low GWP value of 3. However, it is highly flammable. Entire components of a system – or at minimum significant parts – may need to be replaced or upgraded to account for the flammability risk. Depending on the size of the facility, or the number of facilities, this type of overhaul could require substantial resources to implement. Large organizations with a global footprint, such compressor manufacturers, must also consider the size and scope of their operations when selecting a refrigerant. Moving to a new refrigerant at select manufacturing locations instead of all of them may not align best with business strategy.

Refrigerants and lubricants work cohesively within the compressor system to provide the desired performance as efficiently and effectively as possible for any given application. Therefore, proper selection of a refrigeration lubricant supplier goes hand in hand with refrigerant selection. There are many considerations to make including a refrigerant lubricant supplier’s diversity of chemistry, application expertise, and supply reliance to name a few.

Health and Safety Concerns

The benefits of next-generation refrigerant options must be carefully weighed against any potential risks to health and safety. Concerns over flammability, toxicity and other potential health risks may rule out some options for refrigeration or a/c applications. The potential for harm to employees, end users, and the population in general, require careful consideration.

In recent years, gas manufacturers have attempted to design new refrigerants (such as HFO blends) that balance the benefits of lower GWP yet minimize the safety risks. The industry will continue to shift as new gases debut and regulatory demands drive the rate of change away from more environmentally harmful refrigerants.

Environmental Impact

Major stakeholders such as refrigerant gas manufacturers, OEMs, and lubricant suppliers are leading efforts to design systems with the least direct and indirect environmental impacts. Regulatory protocols such as Montreal, F-Gas, Kigali, and Kyoto have delivered timely phase-out deadlines to decrease and eliminate environmentally-damaging refrigerants over time. Considerations to a region’s social, political, and economic status determine the timetable each area has to phase out and adopt lower GWP refrigerants.

Some progressive companies may choose to adopt lower GWP refrigerants sooner than required by regulatory mandates. Others will stay within the phase-down schedules that have been established. Again, the global size and scope of an organization must be considered. Shifting to a different refrigerant has the potential to become more complex as the size of the organization grows.

Your Low GWP Navigation Partner™

Lubrizol recognizes that each company we partner with has unique challenges. We offer the flexibility of a small company coupled with the power of The Lubrizol Corporation (a Berkshire Hathaway company) behind us. Decades of experience in the field, complex problem-solving abilities, and a deep understanding of the refrigerant/lubricant relationship make CPI an ideal partner to help navigate today’s refrigeration challenges.

If your organization values a partner that can manage the complexity of global supply, offers private label capabilities, and values innovative collaboration, CPI has over 45 years of experience and expertise to offer. For those companies that require the security of supply or regional technical support, Lubrizol leverages continuous investment in global operations including manufacturing, logistics, technical staff, state-of-the-art equipment, and facilities.

Refrigeration Lubricants