R600a is the fourth generation refrigerant and the market space is expanding.

The fourth generation refrigerants include two categories: hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) refrigerants and hydrocarbon natural refrigerants (HCs). HCs refrigerants do not contain fluorine, and representative products are mainly R290, R600a, etc. R600a, i.e. isobutane, has a chemical formula of C4H10. It appears as a colorless gas under normal temperature and pressure. It is slightly soluble in water and soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol, ether, and chloroform. It is flammable and may cause explosion hazard when mixed with air. R600a has a wide range of downstream uses, and refrigerator refrigerant is one of its uses.

R600a exists in natural gas and petroleum gas. R600a can be produced by natural gas fractionation adsorption method, petroleum cracking carbon four-fraction separation method can be used to produce R600a, or n-butane isomerization method can be used to prepare R600a. The scale of my country’s petrochemical industry continues to expand, and the output of petroleum cracking carbon four fractions continues to grow. The petroleum cracking method has become one of the important ways to produce R600a in my country. The production volume of R600a continues to rise, providing sufficient supply for the development of my country’s refrigerant industry.

As a refrigerant, R600a has zero ozone depletion potential (ODP), low global warming potential (GWP), good environmental protection, high latent heat value, strong cooling capacity, large cooling capacity per unit mass, low operating pressure, With the advantages of low noise and low cost, it can replace the first-generation chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) refrigerant R12 and the third-generation hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) refrigerant R134a, and is used in refrigerators, freezers, and other small refrigeration equipment. Under the requirements of the Montreal Protocol, the third-generation refrigerant has entered the phase-out period. As the fourth-generation refrigerant, R600a has a large market space in the future.

According to the “2021-2025 R600a Refrigerant Industry In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestion Report” released by the Industrial Research Center, R600a It is one of the fourth-generation refrigerants that has been used on a large scale. However, R600a is flammable and explosive, and has weak irritating and anesthetic effects. If it leaks during use, there is a safety risk, and its cooling effect is not as good as that of the previous generation. , therefore in practical applications, R600a is mainly used in refrigerators and freezers with less liquid filling and relatively small capacity, and the sealing and explosion-proof performance of refrigerators and freezers need to be improved. However, it is practical in the fields of large-capacity refrigerators and air-cooled refrigerators. Sex is relatively poor.

In my country’s petrochemical industry, there are many companies that produce R600a, and the output of R600a is large. However, R600a is mainly used in the fields of propylene oxide and fuel oil, and the products produced by large petrochemical companies with a complete industrial chain layout are basically for their own use. In the Chinese market, the main R600a refrigerant manufacturers include Puyang Zhongwei Fine Chemical Co., Ltd., Shandong Yue’an New Materials Co., Ltd., Heze Xireng Chemical Co., Ltd., etc. From the perspective of geographical distribution, there are relatively many R600a refrigerant manufacturers in Shandong, my country.

Industry analysts said that compared with the first three generations of refrigerants, the fourth generation refrigerants have outstanding environmental advantages, but the cooling effect is The security is relatively poor, so its promotion and application are subject to certain limitations. However, the first and second generation refrigerants will destroy the ozone layer, and the third generation refrigerants have obvious greenhouse effects. Before the emergence of new refrigerants with excellent refrigeration effects, safety and environmental protection, the fourth generation refrigerants have broad development prospects. As the fourth generation refrigerant, R600a’s market space is constantly expanding.