Beginning in 2013, Whirlpool’s U.S.-made refrigerators will begin incorporating Honeywell’s Solstice liquid blowing agent. The environmentally responsible blowing agent has the lowest Global Warming Potential (GWP) available among non-ozone depleting substitutes and outperforms commonly used hydrocarbons such as C-Pentane, providing better low-temperature insulation performance and higher energy savings.
The insulation will be used on future product lineups from Whirlpool Brand, Maytag, Amana, Jenn-Air and KitchenAid brands. Honeywell Solstice liquid blowing agent offers an 8-10 percent improvement in efficiency over refrigerator platforms tested with hydrocarbon blown foam insulation, and a 2 percent improvement over 245fa, currently the most widely used foam blowing agent in the U.S.
“Whirlpool Corp. is an environmental leader, developing high-quality products that offer both efficiency and low environmental impact,” said Ludovic Beaufils, general manager refrigeration and sustainability lead for Whirlpool North America. “Through this collaboration with Honeywell, we are once again leading the way with the most advanced materials that offer the greatest benefits to consumers.”
Honeywell Solstice liquid blowing agent, which was recently granted approval under the Significant New Alternatives Policy, has a 100-year global warming potential between 4.7 and 7, a 99 percent improvement over 245fa. A near drop-in replacement, it also offers cost benefits and is non-flammable, providing safety advantages over other hydrocarbon blowing agents.
