AN OVERVIEW OF THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHLOROFLUOROCARBON (CFC) ALTERNATIVES

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are now believed to be major contributors to the seasonal ozone depletion over the Antarctic continent. They are so important to many aspects of modern society, that substitutes must be rapidly found and commercialized. The identification of suitable substitutes is difficult when issues such as toxicity, flammability, cost, environmental impact and physical properties are considered. Several candidates, azeotropes and blends which meet these criteria, have been selected by the industry and significant research and development programs are underway to commercialize them. Unlike the simple, fully-halogenated CFCs which can only be made in a single step, there are many potentially viable routes to the alternatives, requiring significant improvements in catalysis. Many other important issues such as toxicity, environmental impact, materials compatibility, energy efficiency, developing country needs and product life cycle of the alternatives need to be resolved before a timely transition to substitutes can be accomplished on a global scale.