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A case in point

  • 14/03/2002

Godrej Appliances Limited is using hydrocarbons as a replacement for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in its refrigerators. The ultimate phase out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), large global warming potential of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), no adverse effect of hydrocarbons on the ozone layer and their negligible contribution to global warming were a few reasons that tilted the balance in favour of hydrocarbons for the company.

Refrigerators use CFCs as a blowing agent to provide insulation and as a refrigerant in the cooling circuit. The main alternatives to CFCs as blowing agents are hydrocarbons, namely, cyclopentane or HCFC-141b. Isobutane, another hydrocarbon, or HFC-134a are the substitutes for CFC refrigerants. Higher safety standards than those employed when using CFCs can ensure that flammable properties of hydrocarbons do not present a risk. Incorporating such safety related design changes in the product make the changeover process expensive.

"Godrej is looking at hydrocarbons as the final one-shot change-over," explains Nitin Desai, general manager (research and development) at Gujrat Appliances Limited. Apart from being environment friendly, the use of hydrocarbons helps in avoiding a second changeover unlike using HCFCs, which provide an intermittent solution since they have to be phased out eventually. This initiative has been made possible by the 1992 Ecofrig project of Swiss and German governments to assist the Indian industry.

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