By Cornelius Nunev
Daimler, the business that makes Mercedes-Benz and Wise cars, is boycotting a new type of refrigerant used in car air conditioning units. The new type, R-1234yf, is much less dangerous for the atmosphere than the current standard refrigerant R-134a, which exchanged R-12 in the 1990s. The company found that it is more flammable than previous tests have shown in internal testing, leading to the company boycotting the substance.
Unlikely to catch fire
An environmentally refrigerant for air conditioning units is expected to appear in the auto industry too. The R-12 refrigerant was used until the 1990s when the R-134a swapped out it. That has been the common refrigerant in cars and homes since then.
The new refrigerant, according to AutoBlog, is called R-1234yf. It's already being adopted by General Motors. However, testing by Daimler, the business that makes Mercedes-Benz and also those silly Smart cars, has revealed that the new refrigerant is slightly prone to bursting into flames.
Daimler conducted high-speed frontal crash tests, wherein the air conditioner would fracture and spray the fluid to the motor compartment. The company found in the crash tests that the refrigerant could ignite if sprayed onto the exhaust system.
No other tests show problem
There were tests done for flammability before the Daimler test. The tests showed that unless the metal surface was over 1652 degrees Fahrenheit, the refrigerants would not catch fire. This test was done by putting it on a hot plate. Daimler's is the first test that showed the fluid as being flammable.
People in cars with the R-1234yf air conditioners do not have to stress about safety regardless of the fact that the Society of Automotive Engineers found that it is more flammable than the R-134a is. You should consider the AC unit in an automobile before you get a bank rate auto loan for it in the future.
There is another problem with the R-1234yf that needs to be considered though, according to Der Spiegel. An article about the fluid explained that when it burns, it releases hydrogen fluoride which can create an acidic and toxic substance that will corrode if it comes into contact with moisture. This was found in testing by Germany's Federal Institute for Materials Testing.
The Der Spiegel also explained that the toxicity of R-1234yf is a concern for environmental groups.
Global warming prospective
The point behind changing vehicles from R-134a to R-1234yf refrigerant is that R-1234yf has a much lower global warming potential, or a much lower propensity to trap greenhouse gases and heat in the atmosphere, or the process by which man-made global warming is taking place. R-134a, according to Der Spiegel, has a GWP of 1430 after 100 years; carbon dioxide, in contrast, has a GWP of 1, meaning R-134a is much worse for the atmosphere than CO2 is.
Unless the R-1234yf is proved to be secure, Daimler will not put it in any Mercedes-Benz automobile. General Motors has no issues with the refrigerant though and is using it in the Cadillac XTS, Cadillac ATS and hit year's CTS sedan model, according to the Society of Automotive engineers. GM is the only car company making a big switch like this.
At the moment, the small supply of R-1234yf is confined to a single factory in China, a joint venture between Honeywell and the DuPont chemical business. These two firms stand to make a fortune on further adoption of R-1234yf.
Unlikely to catch fire
An environmentally refrigerant for air conditioning units is expected to appear in the auto industry too. The R-12 refrigerant was used until the 1990s when the R-134a swapped out it. That has been the common refrigerant in cars and homes since then.
The new refrigerant, according to AutoBlog, is called R-1234yf. It's already being adopted by General Motors. However, testing by Daimler, the business that makes Mercedes-Benz and also those silly Smart cars, has revealed that the new refrigerant is slightly prone to bursting into flames.
Daimler conducted high-speed frontal crash tests, wherein the air conditioner would fracture and spray the fluid to the motor compartment. The company found in the crash tests that the refrigerant could ignite if sprayed onto the exhaust system.
No other tests show problem
There were tests done for flammability before the Daimler test. The tests showed that unless the metal surface was over 1652 degrees Fahrenheit, the refrigerants would not catch fire. This test was done by putting it on a hot plate. Daimler's is the first test that showed the fluid as being flammable.
People in cars with the R-1234yf air conditioners do not have to stress about safety regardless of the fact that the Society of Automotive Engineers found that it is more flammable than the R-134a is. You should consider the AC unit in an automobile before you get a bank rate auto loan for it in the future.
There is another problem with the R-1234yf that needs to be considered though, according to Der Spiegel. An article about the fluid explained that when it burns, it releases hydrogen fluoride which can create an acidic and toxic substance that will corrode if it comes into contact with moisture. This was found in testing by Germany's Federal Institute for Materials Testing.
The Der Spiegel also explained that the toxicity of R-1234yf is a concern for environmental groups.
Global warming prospective
The point behind changing vehicles from R-134a to R-1234yf refrigerant is that R-1234yf has a much lower global warming potential, or a much lower propensity to trap greenhouse gases and heat in the atmosphere, or the process by which man-made global warming is taking place. R-134a, according to Der Spiegel, has a GWP of 1430 after 100 years; carbon dioxide, in contrast, has a GWP of 1, meaning R-134a is much worse for the atmosphere than CO2 is.
Unless the R-1234yf is proved to be secure, Daimler will not put it in any Mercedes-Benz automobile. General Motors has no issues with the refrigerant though and is using it in the Cadillac XTS, Cadillac ATS and hit year's CTS sedan model, according to the Society of Automotive engineers. GM is the only car company making a big switch like this.
At the moment, the small supply of R-1234yf is confined to a single factory in China, a joint venture between Honeywell and the DuPont chemical business. These two firms stand to make a fortune on further adoption of R-1234yf.
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