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Hydrofluorocarbon |
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Hydrofluorocarbon or (HFC) refers to a group of industrial gases, which are included in the group of six GHG (greenhouse gases) as stated in Kyoto Protocol. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been replaced by HFCs in many types of applications.
Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) is a chemical compound, which comprises hydrogen, carbon
and fluorine. They are essentially a type of replacement for CFCs. HFC does not contain either bromine or chlorine, which are considered as ozone depleters. HFCs possess zero ozone depletion potential. However, some HFCs possess high GWPs. There exists a standard scheme for numbering HFCs. GWP refers to global warming potential. It is a number, which indicates the quantity of global warming that is being caused by a particular chemical substance. GWP is essentially the ratio of global warming caused by concerned substance to the amount of global warming caused by same mass of CO2 (carbon dioxide). Various types of HCFCs and HFCs possess GWPs, which range from 93 to 12,100.
Chlorofluorocarbons are ozone-depleting compounds. Hydrofluorocarbon gases (HFCs) are man made gases, which have been developed for replacing ozone-affecting chlorofluorocarbons, which were earlier used for industrial purposes. Chlorofluorocarbons were ozone-depleting components, which were earlier extensively used as a coolant, propellant gas and for cleaning. However due to its adverse effects CFC was internationally banned in 1987. As HFCs do not directly possess chlorine they are not responsible for direct annihilation of ozone in earth’s atmosphere. However they also lead to global warming. HFCs are principally used for refrigeration purposes. They are used for blowing foams, as cleaning agents and for other refrigeration purposes. Global warming potential of Hydrofluorocarbon are 4,000 to 10,000 times higher than that of CO2. Apart from refrigerant business Hydrofluorocarbon compounds are used for preparing cosmetic compositions, air conditioning and in different types of heat-transfer system.
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