Asahi Glass completed an HFO1234yf plant which had been under construction in its Chiba Plant and started a full-fledged operation in later April.

The gas enabling to replace HFC134a is a new type of refrigerant for car air-conditioning, and is characteristic in its extremely low global warming potential (GWP) value at less than 1 comparing with 134a at 1300. The company established its own production method to produce the gas with high efficiency and informed the press about the construction of new plant and the supply to Honeywell of USA in January of last year.

The new plant built on an area of 2000 square meter consists of power source, reactor, distillation tower, product tank and filling place. With fluorine chemicals as the principal raw material produced by itself the plant produces 1234yf by repeating chemical reactions and distillation. The production capacity and investment amount are not disclosed.

The gas produced is filled into a 20ft ISO container (filling pressure at 0.7MPa, maximum load of 15t) and delivered to Honeywell. It is supposed that Honeywell repackages the gas into smaller lots in the other filling places for planned supply mainly to the domestic car air-conditioners.

On April 21, AGC held a ceremony to inaugurate the completion on the site inviting the related people. For the press a meeting to introduce the equipment and a plant tour were provided. Takashizu Minato general manager of Fluorine Chemicals Division said, “Regarding fluorocarbons, we have a history to have discontinued the production of CFC11, 12, R410A and HFC134a and have withdrawn them from the market. However, it is our corporate policy to undertake re-entry to the market on a full-fledged scale taking the opportunity of the start to produce 1234yf. The development of AMOLEA series (alternative range of R400 products) is going on at a good pace and we have great expectations.”