Two heavy weights of the industry, Honeywell and Dupont, created the gas refrigerant HFO-1234yf (tetrafluoropropeno), which he began riding in 2013 on new cars in the European Union. This gas has advantages over its successor, the R-134a (tetrafluoroethane) is mainly a lower energy consumption and a low environmental impact, especially with the ozone that protects us from the sun.
If there is a leak in the circuit air conditioning, the R-134a does it take to degrade naturally 13 years, compared to the 11 days of the new gas. On the other hand, the R-134a gas has an impact on global warming more than 350 times higher. If there are no leaks, then both gases are equally safe. The circuits are supposed to be watertight, until they break down, or there is an accident.
today, the only gas that complies with the requirements of the European Union is the HFO-1234yf. Given the circumstance that the weight, the gas again costs 10 times more than the previous. For manufacturers, the new gas is supposed to remove problems and that the compressors of the air conditioning spend less energy. This implies a lower consumption approved.
what then, what’s the problem?
Daimler did some independent testing that found something it didn’t like anything. In a frontal collision there was an obvious risk of leakage of the new gas air-conditioning in the Class SL, A, B and CLA from Mercedes-Benz. The gas released, in contact with hot components of the engine, could cause a fire and release toxic gases.
accordingly, Daimler gave back to the new gas and continued to use the former in these models, although the European Union did not allow. The first reaction against wine from France, which prevented the matriculation of the classes of compact and coupe for not enforcing the community rules.
Daimler responded with the support of the authority of approval by German Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), which found that there was a risk of fire. The chemical industry in turn responded that yes, there was a risk of fire, but it was enough to design the circuit of the air conditioning otherwise. That did not convince the German manufacturer.
Daimler announced a mule, you have to be to 2017, a gas coolant again, to the margin of Honeywell and Dupont, based on carbon dioxide. In other words, Daimler would have ready a refrigerant gas that will comply with the community rules, without having to yield to the blackmail of the chemical industry, with the same advantages that the HFO-1234yf.
Meanwhile, the rest of the industry, with very few exceptions, continued to support the HFO-1234yf, more than anything for lack of alternatives. Daimler got in the courts for a moratorium to continue selling its cars with the R-134a gas, until that was available to his replacement.
This process took months, as there was a tug-of-war of various stakeholders. Logically, the chemical industry gave it all to forzase to Daimler to use your gas, the only gas legal, but did not have the cabezonerÃa German…
will Continue…
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