What qualities are desirable in an ideal refrigerant?

In choosing an ideal refrigerant, the focus is on minimizing environmental impact and ensuring safety. The desirable qualities include a low ozone depletion potential and a low global warming potential. Refrigerants with low ozone depletion potential are less harmful to the stratospheric ozone layer, which protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Similarly, a low global warming potential indicates that the refrigerant contributes minimally to climate change as it has a lesser ability to trap heat in the atmosphere.

The characteristics of low ozone depletion potential and low global warming potential are essential in aligning with international regulations and standards aimed at protecting the environment, such as the Montreal Protocol and the Paris Agreement. These guidelines encourage the use of refrigerants that do not harm the atmosphere, maintaining ecological balance while still providing effective cooling capabilities in refrigeration systems. Thus, opting for refrigerants with these qualities makes them more sustainable and significantly safer in the long run.