Hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants – global warming potential values and safety classifications

This page lists hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and HFC blend refrigerants, and some non-HFC refrigerants. The lists provide:

• global warming potential (GWP)
• refrigerant safety classification
• blend composition (where applicable).

For completeness, some HFCs that are not commonly used as refrigerants are listed.

The GWP values apply under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989 (the Act). They are the 100-year GWPs from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) fourth assessment report, 2007 (AR4). These are the same as used in the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

The Act and the Montreal Protocol will continue to use AR4 values, to maintain consistency with HFC phase-down baseline calculations.

Under AS/NZS ISO 817:2016 Refrigerants - Designation and Safety Classification refrigerants are assigned an identifying number and a safety classification.

For the safety classification the first character, a capital letter, indicates the toxicity:

• A: lower chronic toxicity
• B: higher chronic toxicity.

The second character, a numeral, with or without a suffix letter, is the flammability. Refrigerants are assigned to one of four flammability classes:

• 1: no flame propagation (often called non-flammable)
• 2L: lower flammability (often referred to as mildly flammable)
• 2: flammable
• 3: higher flammability.

Where possible the refrigerant safety classification is from AS/NZS ISO 817:2016. Where this was not available it is from other reputable sources such as American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

This information is provided for general reference only. Anyone working with refrigerants must independently check the safety classification of any refrigerant.