Honeywell announced that its Solstice N40 (R-448A) refrigerant has been approved for use by the U.S. EPA in applications ranging from stand-alone refrigeration systems to commercial refrigeration.

Global regulators are increasingly moving to phase out high-global warming refrigerants and, on July 2, the EPA announced landmark regulations that will phase out the use of many of the world's most potent HFCs, such as R-404A, in a variety of applications. The new regulation effective summer 2016 will require supermarkets, the largest consumers of R-404A in the U.S., to discontinue use of R-404A as a retrofit refrigerant. R-404A will also not be permitted for use in new supermarkets beginning January 1, 2017.

New Solstice®N40 Approved to Aid Conversion of Nearly 30,000 U.S. Supermarkets Ahead of 2016 U.S. EPA Regulations. The EPA also approvals for the company's Solstice N13 (R-450A) refrigerant, allowing it to be used in new vending machine applications.

These approvals allow Solstice N40 refrigerant to replace R-22 and R-404A in commercial refrigeration applications, including new and retrofit supermarkets, various types of commercial refrigeration equipment, ice machines and refrigerated transportation. 

Solstice N40 has a GWP that is 66% lower than R-404A. In supermarket trials conducted in the U.S. and Europe, Solstice N40 demonstrated at least 3% lower energy consumption in low-temperature applications and 5% to 16% lower energy consumption in medium-temperature refrigeration compared with R-404A. In R-22 retrofit scenarios, Solstice N40 has delivered similar system performance. Whether replacing R-22 or R-404A, Solstice N40 is a near drop-in replacement for supermarkets.

Solstice N13 has a GWP that is 60% lower than R-134a and is approved for use in vending machine applications. Solstice N40 (R-448A) and Solstice N13 (R-450A) are nonflammable (ASHRAE A1) and non-ozone-depleting.