Substitutes in Very Low Temperature Refrigeration
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more.Substitutes are reviewed on the basis of environmental and health risks, including factors such as ozone depletion potential, global warming potential, toxicity, flammability, and exposure potential. Lists of acceptableThis designation means that a substitute may be used, without restriction, to replace the relevant ODS within the end-use specified. For example, HCFC-22 is an acceptable substitute for R-502 in industrial process refrigeration. Note that all SNAP determinations apply to the use of a specific product as a substitute for a specific ODS in a specific end-use. and unacceptableThis designation means that it is illegal to use a product as a substitute for an ODS in a specific end-use. For example, HCFC-141b is an unacceptable substitute for CFC-11 in building chillers. Note that all SNAP determinations apply to the use of a specific product as a substitute for a specific ODS in a specific end-use. substitutes are updated several times each year. The list of substitutes is shown below.
Note: SNAP-related information published in the Federal Register takes precedence over all information on this page.
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| Substitute | Trade Name(s) | Retrofit/New | ODPA number that refers to the amount of ozone depletion caused by a substance. The ODP is the ratio of the impact on ozone of a chemical compared to the impact of a similar mass of CFC-11. Thus, the ODP of CFC-11 is defined to be 1.0. Other CFCs and HCFCs have ODPs that range from 0.01 to 1.0. The halons have ODPs ranging up to 10. Carbon tetrachloride has an ODP of 1.2, and methyl chloroform's ODP is 0.11. HFCs have zero ODP because they do not contain chlorine. A table of all ozone-depleting substances (https://www3.epa.gov/ozone/science/ods/index.html) shows their ODPs, GWPs, and CAS numbers. | GWPThe index used to translate the level of emissions of various gases into a common measure in order to compare the relative radiative forcing of different gases without directly calculating the changes in atmospheric concentrations. GWPs are calculated as the ratio of the radiative forcing that would result from the emissions of one kilogram of a greenhouse gas to that from the emission of one kilogram of carbon dioxide over a period of time (usually 100 years). Gases involved in complex atmospheric chemical processes have not been assigned GWPs. See lifetime. | ASHRAEASHRAE is an international organization that establishes standards for the uniform testing and rating of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment. It also conducts related research, disseminates publications, and provides continuing education to its members. Designation (Safety Classification) |
SNAP Listing Date | Listing Status |
| HFC-23 | R/N | 0 | 14,800 | A1 | August 26, 1994 | Acceptable | |
| HFC-245fa | Genetron® 245fa | R/N | 0 | 1,030 | A1 | March 29, 2006 | Acceptable |
| HFE-347mcc3 (heptafluoropropyl methyl ether | Novec™ 7000 Engineered Fluid (HFE-7000 | R/N | 0 | 575 | A1 | June 16, 2010 | Acceptable |
| HFE-449s1 (methoxynonafluorobutane, iso and normal) | Novec™ 7100 Engineered Fluid (HFE-7100) | N | 0 | 297 | A1 | December 18, 2000; June 16, 2010 |
Acceptable: Only acceptable for use as a secondary heat transfer fluid in not-in-kind systems. |
| HFE-569sf2 (ethoxynonafluorobutane, iso and normal) | Novec™ 7200 Engineered Fluid (HFE-7200) | N | 0 | 59 | N/A | December 18, 2000; June 16, 2010 |
Acceptable: Only acceptable for use as a secondary heat transfer fluid in not-in-kind systems. |
| ISCEON 89 | ISCEON 89 | R/N | 0 | 3,792 | A1 | August 21, 2003 | Acceptable |
| NARM-502 | R/N | >0 | N/A | A1 | September 5, 1996 | Acceptable | |
| PFC-1102HC, PFC-662HC, PFC-552HC, and FLC-15 | N | >0 | N/A | A1 | March 22, 2002 | Acceptable | |
| PFC-330ST, PFC-550HC, PFC-660HC, PFC-1100HC, PFC-1100LT, PGC-100, PGC-150, PFC-331ST, PFC-551HC, PFC-661HC, PFC-1101HC, and PGC-151 | R/N | >0 | N/A | N/A | May 23, 2001 | Acceptable | |
| R-125/R-290/R-134a/R-600a (55.0/1.0/42.5/1.5) | ICOR AT-22 | R/N | 0 | 2,530 | A1 | March 29, 2006 | Acceptable |
| R-170 (Ethane) | N | 0 | 5.5 | A3 | April 10, 2015 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: See rule for detailed conditions. | |
| R-290 (Propane) | N | 0 | 3 | A3 | December 1, 2016 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: See rule for detailed conditions. | |
| R-403B | ISCEON 69-L | R/N | 0.041 | 3,096 | A1 | August 26, 1994 | Acceptable |
| R-404A | SUVA HP-62 | R/N | 0 | 3,920 | A1 | December 20, 2002 | Acceptable |
| R-407C | Suva 407C, Klea 407C | R/N | 0 | 1,770 | A1 | February 8, 1996; December 20, 2002 |
Acceptable |
| R-410A | AZ-20, Suva 9100, Puron | N | 0 | 2,090 | A1 | February 8, 1996; December 20, 2002 |
Acceptable |
| R-410B | N | 0 | 2,230 | A1 | February 8, 1996 | Acceptable | |
| R-422B | ICOR XAC1, NU-22B | R/N | 0 | 2,530 | A1 | March 29, 2006 | Acceptable |
| R-422C | ICOR XLT1 | R/N | 0 | 3,390 | A1 | March 29, 2006 | Acceptable |
| R-507, R-507A | AZ-50 | R/N | 0 | 3,990 | A1 | December 20, 2002; October 4, 2011 |
Acceptable |
| R-508A | Klea 5R3, PFC Blend Alpha | R/N | 0 | 13,214 | A1 | July 28, 1995 | Acceptable |
| R-508B | Suva 95 | R/N | 0 | 13,396 | A1 | July 28, 1995 | Acceptable |
| R-744 (Carbon Dioxide, CO2) | R/N | 0 | 1 | A1 | January 13, 1995; June 16, 2010 |
Acceptable | |
| R-1150 (Ethylene) | N | 0 | 3.7 | A3 | April 28, 2023 | Acceptable with Use Conditions and Narrowed Use Limits: See rule for detailed conditions. |
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