Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

hemical compounds called chlorouorocarbons (CFCs), which are widely used today, have been linked to two environmental problems that are causing increasing concern: ozone depletion and global warming. A new federal law - Title VI of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 - has been passed to reduce production of CFCs, leading to a total phaseout by the year 2000. Specific strategies to reduce CFC emissions include recycling, reclamation, and recovery of CFCs; early detection of refrigerant leaks and modification of repair procedures; and use of alternative compounds to replace CFCs.

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History of CFCs
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are chemical compounds made of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon. One member of the CFC family, called a halon, also contains bromine. CFCs were originally invented in the 1930s for the refrigerator market to replace the other common refrigerants, such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, ethyl chloride, isobutane, methyl chloride, and sulfur dioxide. Many of these coolants were flammable, toxic, or both. The new CFCs were hailed as the perfect compounds, because they are nontoxic, nonflammable, noncorrosive, and extremely stable. Furthermore, they have excellent thermodynamic properties and never wear out. CFCs are primarily used as refrigerants and solvents. Among the most useful chemicals ever invented, CFCs are found in many aspects of modern living. They are used to refrigerate food and drugs; cool homes, buildings, and cars; clean electronic components; insulate buildings and refrigerators; and create packaging. Halons are used as propellants in fire extinguishers. Products using CFCs account for $135 billion worth of products in the United States.

Ozone Depletion Theory

In the early 1970s, scientists discovered that CFCs were accumulating in the stratosphere, 7 to 28 miles above the earth, and destroying the ozone layer. The ozone layer absorbs and scatters ultraviolet rays from the sun, protecting the earth from excessive exposure to their harmful effects. A decrease in the ozone layer is suspected to have negative biological effects, including increased incidence of skin cancer and eye cataracts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)estimates that each 1 percent depletion in stratospheric ozone could lead to a 2 percent increase in skin cancers among fair-skinned people. When CFCs and halons are released into the atmosphere they eventually reach the upper stratosphere. There they are broken down by ultraviolet radiation, releasing free chlorine or bromine atoms, which destroy the ozone. Each free chlorine atom is thought to be capable of destroying up to 100,000 ozone molecules. Bromine is considered even more harmful than chlorine; however, because halons are released in

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lower quantities than other CFCs, they account for less than 10 percent of the stratospheric ozone destruction. CFCs have long atmospheric lives of 40 to 380 years.

Ozone Depletion PotentiaI

Not all CFCs damage ozone to the same extent. A measure referred to as ozone depletion potential (ODP) describes the particular CFC compounds ability to destroy protective ozone. The ODP for a compound represents its destructive ability compared to that of CFC-11 and CFC-12, which have a baseline value of one. The larger the ODP value, the greater the ozone depletion potential. The ODPs for commonly-used compounds are shown in the table.

shorter atmospheric lifetimes than CFCs and only 2 to 5 percent of the ozone depletion potential. They are generally used in equipment such as residential, window, and commercial rooftop air-conditioning systems and heat pumps. HFCs, or hydrofluorocarbons, are compounds being developed to replace CFCs. These compounds contain no chlorine to harm the ozone layer. Some problems with HFCs include failure to pass longterm toxicity tests, lack of effective lubricants, and lack of production-level manufacturing techniques. HFC-134a would be a likely substitute for CFC-12. This refrigerant will be used in domestic refrigerators and automobile air-conditioning systems. Most manufacturers have solved the lubricant problem by using ester-based lubricants or polyalkylene glycols.

in causing global warming because CFCs are more efficient in absorbing infrared radiation. Studies indicate that CFCs account for about one-fifth of the global warming effect. The greenhouse effect of a particular compound is expressed as its global warming potential (GWP). The GWP of each compound is relative to that of CFC-11, which has a value of 1.O. The larger the GWP, the greater the contribution to the greenhouse effect. The GWPs for commonly-used refrigerants are shown in the table.

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Government Regulat ion of CFCs

In 1978, the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of CFCs as aerosol propellants in all but a few essential applications. As a resuIt, the use of CFCs in aerosol propellants was reduced by 95 percent. However, even with this ban, between 1978and 1985, the global levels of stratospheric ozone dropped an average of 2.5 percent. In 1987,36 countries, including the United States, signed a treaty that seeks to protect the stratospheric ozone layer. This treaty, commonly known as the Montreal Protocol, calls for stepwise reductions of CFC and halon production over the next decade, ending in a total phase-out by the year 2000. The second Montreal Protocol, a follow-up agreement, was signed in London in June 1990 by 93 countries. It expands the treatys scope to other ozonedepleting chemicals, such as carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform, which will be phasedout by the years 2000 and 2005, respectively.

It is important to understand the differences between the various compounds: CFCs, HCFCs, and HFCs. A simple hydrocarbon molecule is the basic structure from which all three are derived.
CFCs are fully-halogenated hydrocarbon molecules in which all the hydrogen atoms have been replaced with chlorine or fluorine atoms. CFCs are considered to cause the most ozone depletion; it is theorized that the high ODPs are due to chlorine. Examples of fully-halogenated CFCs are CFC11, CFC-12, CFC-113, CFC-114, and CFC-115. HCFCs, or h ydrofluorocarbons, are hydrocarbon molecules in which some, but not all, of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced with bromine, chlorine, or fluorine atoms. HCFCs are less harmful to the ozone because most of the molecules break down at elevations below the ozone layer. These compounds have much

Global Warming Potential

Not long after their effect on the ozone layer was discovered, scientists discovered that CFCs were also contributing to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect results when infrared radiation emitted from the earth is trapped by the atmosphere, causing the earths climate to increase in temperature. The greenhouse effect is caused by certain gases that collect in the atmosphere and radiate the earths infrared energy back to the earth. The following gases contribute to this effect: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and CFCs. The most abundant of the greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide. Although CFCs are not as abundant as carbon dioxide, pound for pound they are thousands of times as potent as carbon dioxide

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The Future for CFCs

As restrictions become enacted into law, reduction strategies will become much more prevalent. Because of decreasing supply and increasing tax, the price of refrigerants will rise, creating an economic incentive for reducing their use. Chemical companies are now working on potential replacements for ozone-destroying CFCs. Air-conditioning and refrigeration manufacturers must redesign equipment to accommodate new refrigerants. It will cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars to make the transition to safer refrigerants. However, the time, effort, and money spent on this transition will help to secure human health and environmental soundness for future generations.

Bibliography
ASHRAE. 1989 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals. 1989. ASHRAE. Reducing Emission of Fully Halogenated Chlovofluorocarbon (CFC)Refrigerants in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Equipment and Applications. Guideline ANSI/ASHRAE 3-1990. Atwood, T. CFCs in Transition. CFCs: Time of Transition. ASHRAE. Pp. 6065. 1989. Cale, P.S. and K. H. Heiting. The Wonder Chemicals Must Go. Iowa Energy Bulletin. Volume 16, No. 1.Iowa Department of Natural Resources. January/February 1991. Clarke, E.M., G. G. Anderson, W. D. Wells, and R.L. Bates. Retrofitting Existing Chillers with Alternative Refrigerants. ASHRAE Journal. Pp. 41. April 1991. Denny, R.J. The CFC Footprint. CFCs: Time of Transition. ASHRAE. Pp. 2328. 1989. Fischer, S. Energy Use Impact of CFC Alternatives. Energy Engineering. Volume 88, No.3, Pp. 8.1991. Frank, A. L. CFC, Halon Phaseouts Set for 2000 in Protocol Signed by 93 Countries. Energy and Housing Report. ALFA Publishing. June 1990. Gilkey, H.T. The Coming Refrigerant Shortage. HeatinglPipinglAir Conditioning. Pp. 41-46. April 1991. McLinden, M.O. and D.A. Didion. Quest for Alternatives. CFCs: Time of Transition. ASHRAE. Pp. 69-78. 1989. Miller, R. Refrigeration and Aiv Conditioning Technology. Peoria, Illinois: Bennett & McKnight Publishing Company. 1983. Moore, T. Global Response to CFC Refrigerants. EPRI Journal. September 1989.

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