Daikin Industries Ltd. has announced that it is offering companies worldwide free access to 93 patents to encourage the development and commercialization of air conditioning, cooling, and heat pump equipment that uses HFC-32 as a single-component refrigerant. Daikin’s action is aimed at encouraging manufacturers worldwide to adopt sustainable comfort cooling and heating technologies that use HFC-32.

HFC-32 (difluoromethane) is a non-ozone depleting substance and has a global-warming potential (GWP) about one-third of that of R-410A.

“[HFC-32] is energy efficient, affordable, and easy to recycle,” the company said in a press release. “These advantages make it the most balanced and promising next-generation refrigerant solution to reduce the environmental footprint of residential and commercial air conditioning, cooling, and heat pump equipment.”

“Daikin has been offering free access to these patents in emerging markets since 2011 to accelerate the phase-out of ozone-depleting refrigerants, such as HCFC-22,” said Shinya Okada, Daikin’s senior executive officer. “Given the urgent need to address climate change, Daikin believes that this is the right time to extend free access to these certain HFC-32 equipment patents to manufacturers worldwide.”

There is no patent that covers the HFC-32 chemical itself and it is readily available from suppliers other than Daikin. This free access to certain patents allows manufacturers to utilize Daikin’s technologies for air conditioning, cooling, and heat pump equipment using HFC-32 single-component refrigerant and encourages the global industry to grow responsibly as well as meet rising demand.

Companies interested in obtaining access to these patents can contact Daikin Legal at R32-op-legal@daikin.co.jp.