Guangdong, China -- Chinese appliance manufacturer Midea is set to adopt Honeywell's Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA) for the closed cell foam insulation in its refrigerators and freezers.
Solstice LBA (trans- 1 -chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene) was developed as a blowing agent for polymer foams and is based on the company's new hydrofluoro-olefin technology.
A next-generation blowing agent, Solstice LBA is a nonflammable and also not a volatile organic compound with a global warming potential of 1. It is listed under the Environmental Protection Agency's Significant New Alternatives Policy program.
Honeywell claims Solstice LBA achieves up to 12% better refrigeration insulation than cyclopentane and higher energy efficiency performance at low temperatures.
Short-term, Midea is set to increase its use of Honeywell's Enovate 245fa - a non-flammable hydrofluorocarbon blowing agent that does not deplete the ozone layer - with blends of cyclopentane.
Following its adoption of Solstice LBA, the company is poised to begin insulating Chinese-manufactured appliances with the material from 2014.
Honeywell describes Solstice LBA as a 'near drop-in' replacement for liquid HCFC, HFC, hydrocarbons and other non-fluorocarbon blowing agents which requires no hydrocarbon storage or handling/risk mitigation equipment.
Eric Wang, president of Midea's refrigerator and freezer division, said: "Midea's planned use of Enovate 245fa and Solstice LBA will provide the company with the lowest-cost route to meet current and future energy standards."
A spray foam roofing system formulated with Solstice LBA received a severe hail rating through an approval-certification program run by one of the world's largest property insurers.
The system met Global FM Approvals' requirements for wind uplift, flammability, leaks, foot traffic and corrosion performance.
