In November, Honeywell of U.S. fluorine chemistry major announced that Midea of the Chinese leading manufacturer of electric appliances adopted a blowing agent of the latest type utilizing HFO gas which is a sort of fluorocarbons. Midea applies the gas to insulating materials for its refrigerators. A full-fledged gas supply will start next year.

The next-generation blowing agent of liquid type “SOLSTICE LBA” to be supplied is a stand-alone gas of HF01233zd(E) developed by Honeywell, which is able to substitute either HCFC141b or HFC245fa. The blowing agent, having features of non-flammability, non-VOC and GWP at 1, has been registered in the new alternatives program of EPA of the US. The gas blows hard urethane insulating materials of closed-pore type and is also applied to on-site bubbling, construction panels and maritime refrigeration containers.

Midea is undertaking to improve energy-saving properties of the insulating materials for refrigerators to manufacture, by means of switching cyclopentane into a mixed blowing agent of cyclopentane plus HFC245fa. From now on Midea is going to expand the application scope of HFC245fa, employ SOLSTICE LBA newly and furthermore produce a product to cope with environmental requirements.

In the meantime, Honeywell is constructing a commercial plant of SOLSTICE LBA in the US, to be commenced in 2014.