Wilmington, DE — Oct. 23, 2008 — DuPont today announced significant progress toward the development and commercialization of a new refrigerant for automotive air conditioning that offers a considerably lower global warming potential than hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) R-134a, which is used today.  The new refrigerant candidate, hydrofluoro-olefin (HFO)-1234yf, is the product of a joint development agreement between DuPont and Honeywell, which have been working closely with automotive manufacturers and their suppliers to conduct extensive safety, environmental and performance testing.

DuPont (HFO)-1234yf

Based upon equivalent cooling and energy performance and global adoption of one refrigerant by the year 2017, the use of the new refrigerant in new cars has the potential to save more than 2,200 million liters (about 590 million gallons) of fuel annually – the equivalent of taking approximately 1.5 million cars off the road each year, compared to the in-kind product.

“This development is critical to reduce the total environmental footprint associated with car air conditioning systems, and DuPont is pleased to report that current data supports the safe use of HFO-1234yf in mobile air conditioning systems globally,” said Cynthia C. Green, vice president and general manager -- DuPont Fluoroproducts.  “As HFO-1234yf is evaluated by automotive manufacturers in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia, support continues to strengthen.  In addition to safety, the new refrigerant offers a favorable environmental profile, compatibility with existing mobile air conditioning technology, and could enable automotive OEMs to meet the 2011 European Union regulatory deadline imposed on mobile air conditioning to begin the phase out of HFC technologies.”

HFO-1234yf offers several unique attributes that make it an ideal candidate to replace R-134a for automotive air conditioning.  It has a lower total environmental impact than other alternatives as measured by Life Cycle Climate Potential (LCCP) due to the combination of its extremely low global warming potential and high energy efficiency.  It performs well in all regions with different climates, making it more suitable as a single, global refrigerant solution.  The new refrigerant offers benefits for consumers and service technicians when compared to alternative carbon dioxide systems.  It also offers the most cost-effective transition away from HFC technology because it is highly compatible with current mobile air conditioning technology.

Although specific plans have not yet been announced pending commercial agreements, DuPont is developing plans for HFO-1234yf production that would allow automotive manufacturers to meet the 2011 timeframe imposed by the EU directive.

DuPont – one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals 18 years ago – has broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal footprint reduction to include market-driven targets for both revenue and research and development investment.  The goals are tied directly to business growth, specifically to the development of safer and environmentally improved new products for key global markets.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere.  Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.