“We realize that our customers and others in the industry need as much information as possible regarding the best options for retrofitting R-22 refrigerant across different applications and conditions,” said Gus Rolotti, Arkema’s North American technical marketing director for fluorochemicals. “So we expanded our Forane refrigerants website to cover this area, taking various information from our training programs, product literature, and technical data and rolling them into a single, convenient location.”

The new website section features four distinct sections of information:

• An Overview — covering the phaseout of R-22 and the EPA timeline, including yearly milestones during the phaseout;

• Retrofit Options — discussing possible retrofit solutions based on operating pressure and temperature ranges depending on the application range;

• Retrofit Solutions — Arkema’s recommendations for specific retrofit products based on operational data for each product and how it compares to R-22, including capacity, flow rates, TXV changeout, lubricant, and discharge pressure and temperature, plus retrofit procedures to be followed in the field; and

• Retrofit Resources — providing a wide-ranging FAQ section along with contact information for Arkema customer service and technical support.

The website will also feature a detailed, navigable Refrigerants Training Seminar for R-22 alternatives geared toward technicians in the field. According to the company, the online seminar is modeled after a highly popular Arkema in-person training program about R-22 retrofits. It covers general issues, component comparisons, functional considerations, operational traits, and retrofit recommendations.

Publication date: 01/23/2012