What is the Difference Between Refrigerant R22 and R134a?

As the most widely used medium and low-temperature refrigerant today, R22 is mainly used in household air conditioners, commercial air conditioners, central air conditioners, mobile air conditioners, heat pump water heaters, dehumidifiers, refrigerated dryers, cold storage, food refrigeration equipment, marine refrigeration equipment, and industrial refrigeration, commercial refrigeration, refrigeration condensing units, supermarket display cabinets, and other refrigeration equipment.

R134a refrigerant is the most widely used medium and low temperature environmentally friendly refrigerant. Due to the good comprehensive performance of R-134a, it becomes a very effective and safe substitute for R12. It is mainly used in most areas where R12 refrigerant is used.

Many people confuse R22 with R134a, but although the two have similar characteristics in some aspects, there are many differences in many thermal characteristics. The following is a detailed introduction to the difference between R22 and R134a.

1. The global warming potential (GWP) of R134a is 1200 and R22 is 1700, which are both greenhouse gases.

2. The Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) of R134a is 0 and R22 is 0.06. This is the reason why R134a has become an environmentally friendly refrigerant.

3. The specific volume of R134a is 1.47 times that of R22, and the latent heat of evaporation is small, so the refrigeration capacity of the R134a unit is only 60% of that of the R22 unit. Calculated according to the price of unit cooling capacity, the price of the R22 unit is about 60% of that of the R134a unit.

4. The thermal conductivity of R134a is 10% lower than that of R22, so the heat exchange area of the heat exchanger of the R134a unit needs to be larger.

5. The water absorption of R134a is very strong, which is 20 times that of R22, so the dryer in the unit system has higher requirements to avoid ice blocking.

6. R134a has a stronger swelling effect on rubber substances than R22, and the refrigerant leakage rate is higher in actual operation. In addition, it is highly corrosive to copper, and "copper plating" will occur during use, so additives must be added to the system.

7. The R134a system requires a dedicated compressor and a dedicated grease lubricant. Due to its high water absorption, high foaming, and high diffusibility, the stability of the system performance are inferior to that of the R22 system. mineral oil.

8. The price of R134a and other HFCS refrigerants and their special lipid oil is higher than R22, and the operation and maintenance cost of the equipment is higher.

At this stage, compared with R134a environmentally friendly refrigerants, R22 refrigerant still has the advantages of high efficiency, stability, and low price, and will still be in an advantageous position in the application of large refrigeration units. If you want to know more about refrigerants after reading the above, you can get a comprehensive solution by contacting us.

FOTECH is a professional manufacturer of refrigerants and fluoropolymers. Our refrigerant gases have outstanding performance in household, industrial and commercial refrigerant systems. Our products have passed various safety certifications, and the quality of the products has also been fully controlled. At the same time, we put the needs of customers first and can provide customers with thoughtful one-stop service. If you are interested in our refrigerants, please contact us immediately!