Midea to adopt Honeywell’s next-generation blowing agent in energy-efficient refrigerators

“Honeywell is committed to developing technologies that help our customers produce energy-efficient appliances that are great for consumers and better for the environment,” said Sanjeev Rastogi, business director for Honeywell Fluorine Products. “We are delighted to help Midea manufacture products that benefit from our expertise in developing and supplying high-performance, energy-efficient, and low-environmental-impact solutions.”

Midea is currently transitioning from the use of a cyclopentane, a hydrocarbon blowing agent, to blends of cyclopentane and Enovate 245fa, Honeywell’s current generation blowing agent, to improve the energy efficiency of its appliances. Subject to the terms of a pending final agreement between the two companies, Midea will continue to increase its use of Enovate 245fa, but will also adopt Solstice LBA beginning in 2014 to insulate refrigerators and freezers to be manufactured in China.

“Midea is committed being a leader in the manufacture of energy-efficient appliances,” said Eric Wang, president of Midea’s refrigerator and freezer division. “Midea’s planned use of Enovate 245fa and Solstice LBA will provide them with the lowest-cost route to meet current and future energy standards.”

Blowing agents from Honeywell allow closed-cell polyurethane foam insulation to expand, and provide the majority of the foam’s excellent insulating properties, says the manufacturer. These blowing agents can be used in a wide range of applications, including spray foam insulation, insulated architectural panels, and refrigerated shipping containers. Enovate is a non-flammable hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) blowing agent that does not deplete the ozone layer. Honeywell introduced Enovate 245fa in 2002 and supplies it to a range of industries, from appliance insulation to spray foam. Solstice LBA is a next-generation blowing agent with a global warming potential (GWP) of 1 that is listed under the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program. Solstice LBA is non-flammable and is not a volatile organic compound. Honeywell is currently building world-scale production capacity for Solstice LBA that is expected to come on line in early 2014.

In addition to Solstice LBA, Honeywell's family of Solstice-branded products includes stationary and mobile refrigerants, gaseous blowing agents, propellants, and solvents based on the company’s new hydrofluoro-olefin technology that are said to help customers lower their carbon footprint without sacrificing end-product performance. The Solstice products have been developed and are being commercialised by the company’s Fluorine Products business, a supplier of zero ozone-depleting refrigerants used by top air-conditioning and refrigeration makers worldwide, and blowing agents for energy-efficient foam insulation, as well as hydrofluoric acid and precursors for nuclear fuel.