Whirlpool has begun phasing out use of HFC-134a, and it has now implemented the use of Honeywell’s Solstice® Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA) insulation in U.S. made-refrigerators and freezers.
In an announcement from Whirlpool’s corporate headquarters in Benton Harbor, Mich., it was noted that the global warming potential (GWP) of the new foam blowing agent is 99.9 percent lower than other foam-blowing agents widely used within the industry.
“Whirlpool Corp. and Honeywell believe we have responsibility to be as proactive as we can to preserve our environment, and meet the demands of our consumers,” said Joseph Liotine, president of Whirlpool U.S. operations. “By introducing this new insulation to our refrigerators, we’ve taken steps to eliminate the biggest contributor to global warming found in refrigerators without compromising quality or the energy efficiency of our appliances.”
According to the statement, this is the first use of the blowing agents in home appliances. Whirlpool “is leading the way with highly efficient, environmentally friendlier products, and that is reflected in their choice of Honeywell Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent for their new line of refrigerators,” said Andreas Kramvis, president and CEO of Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies. “We are pleased to see Whirlpool at the vanguard of the global effort to combat climate change while retaining the high performance that consumers have come to expect from their products.”
Solstice LBA has a GWP of 1, the same as carbon dioxide (CO2), and is nonozone-depleting. The foam-blowing agent has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is listed under the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP). Most recently, Solstice LBA was a component in the roofing system applied to more than 500,000 square feet of roof at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland. In addition to Solstice LBA, Honeywell's family of Solstice-branded products includes stationary and mobile refrigerants, gaseous blowing agents, propellants, and solvents.
