Refrigerant composition

• US 8,246,852 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Serrano, Myrna, Sherman, John W., Redwine, Oscar D., Sanders, Aaron W.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARDEE, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US13/111,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20110272624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 252/68
• US Class Current: 252/68
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/045 containing only fluorine as halogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 171/008 Lubricant compositions compatible with refrigerants
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/1033 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/1045 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/1055 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/1075 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/1085 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2227/04 having a silicon-to-carbon bond, e.g. organo-silanes
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/041 containing aliphatic substituents
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/042 containing aromatic substituents
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/047 containing alkylene oxide groups
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2020/101 Containing Hydrofluorocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2030/06 Oiliness; Film-strength; Anti-wear; Resistance to extreme pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2030/12 Inhibition of corrosion, e.g. anti-rust agents or anti-corrosives

Abstract

An improved refrigerant composition, or a kit for an improved refrigerant composition, for use in air conditioners comprising a refrigerant, wherein the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluorocarbon having a GWP of less than about 10 and an ODP of about zero, which is present at a concentration of at least about 50% by weight of the refrigerant composition; a lubricant wherein the lubricant is a polar, oxygenated lubricant; and an acid scavenger comprising a siloxane, an activated aromatic compound, or any mixtures thereof.

Claims

1. A refrigerant composition for use in air conditioners comprising:

i) a refrigerant, wherein the refrigerant comprises a fluorocarbon which is present at a concentration of at least about 50% by weight of the refrigerant composition;

ii) a lubricant which reduces the wear of one or more working parts in a refrigerant system, wherein the lubricant includes one or more_polyalkylene glycols; and

iii) an acid scavenger including diphenyl oxide;

wherein the refrigerant composition functions as a heat transfer fluid in a cycle including a phase change from a liquid to a gas.

2. The refrigerant composition of claim 1 wherein the diphenyl oxide is capable of addition reactions with mineral acids during the ASHRAE Standard 97-199 thermal stability test.

3. The refrigerant composition of claim 2 wherein the acid scavenger is diphenyl oxide.

4. The refrigerant composition of claim 1, wherein the acid scavenger is present at a concentration from about 0.1 wt. % to about 3 wt. % based on the total weight of the refrigerant composition.

5. The refrigerant composition of claim 1 wherein

i) the refrigerant composition has one liquid phase after aging per ANSI ASHRAE 97 for 14 days at 175°

C. with aluminum, copper and iron metal strips;

ii) the refrigerant composition has a total acid number of less than about 3.3 mg KOH/g after aging per ANSI ASHRAE 97 for 14 days at 175°

C. with aluminum, copper and iron metal strips;

or

iii) both i) and ii); and

wherein the fluorocarbon includes a hydrofluorocarbon, and the lubricant and the hydrofluorocarbon are miscible from about 0°

C. to about 40°

C.

6. The refrigerant composition of claim 1, wherein the fluorocarbon includes a hydrofluorocarbon containing from 3 to about 12 carbon atoms and at least about 3 fluorine atoms per molecule, and the hydrofluorocarbon has a global warming potential of less than about 10.

7. The refrigerant composition of claim 1, wherein the lubricant includes a first polyalkylene glycol wherein the first polyalkylene glycol comprises a first polyalkylene glycol monol, a polyalkylene diol or any combinations thereof.

8. The refrigerant composition of claim 7, wherein the first polyalkylene glycol includes a propylene oxide homopolymer or a polyethylene oxide homopolymer according to Formula I:

Z—

[—

(CH₂—

CH(R¹)—

O—

)_n—

R²]_p 

 

(Formula I)

wherein p is an integer ranging from 1 to about 8, n has an average value from about 15 to about 100, R¹ is H or CH₃, R² is H or an alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and Z is the residue of a compound having p active hydrogens, or the first polyalkylene glycol includes a random copolymer of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide.

9. A kit for a refrigerant composition of claim 1 comprising:

i) a refrigerant component comprising a hydrofluorocarbon, having a global warming potential of less than about 10 and an ozone depletion potential of about zero; and

ii) a lubricant component comprising a lubricant for reducing the wear of one or more working parts in a refrigerant system;

wherein the kit further comprises an acid scavenger including diphenyl oxide;

wherein the refrigerant component includes the acid scavenger, the lubricant component includes the acid scavenger, the kit includes an acid scavenger component that includes the acid scavenger, or any combination thereof.