What Is the Purpose of Refrigerant?

Refrigerants are commonly used in air conditioners.

According to the Princeton University WordNet website, a refrigerant is any substance used to provide cooling. Refrigerants are commonly used in refrigerators, ice machines and air conditioners for homes and vehicles.

Uses

Refrigerants are mainly used in refrigerators and air conditioners as a cooling and freezing agent. For example, if you have an air conditioner that is producing warm air instead of cold air, it probably needs to have refrigerant added. You may also add a refrigerant to your vehicle's air conditioner if the air is not cool enough.

Disposal

Refrigerants are considered hazardous contaminants and need to be properly disposed of because they can cause severe damage to the Earth's ozone layer. You should never throw refrigerants in the trash. Instead, companies like RemTech International can help you properly dispose of them.

Blends

According to the website HVAC Fun, refrigerant blends are composed of two or more single-component refrigerants. Single component refrigerants have their own unique physical properties such as density, heat-transfer coefficient and heat of vaporization. In order to create a blend, individual properties of a single refrigerant must be mixed in proper proportions.

References

• Princeton University: WordNet: Refrigerant
• HVAC Fun: Refrigerant Blends

Resources

• RemTech International: Refrigerant Disposal