F-gases

F-gases

Fluorinated greenhouse gases (HFCs, PFCs and SF6) are chemicals that contain fluorine in their molecule and have a high or very high global warming potential (GWP), which is 140 times to – nearly 23,000 times the GWP of CO2, and their production and consumption worldwide (including in the EU and Poland) is growing very rapidly. They are the only greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol that do not occur naturally, but are man-made and used as, among other things:

refrigerants in refrigeration and air conditioning

foaming agents for foam and foam-containing products

fire-fighting agents in fire protection

solvents for cleaning metal parts and electronic components

insulating gas in high-voltage switchgear in the electric power industry (applies to SF6 only)

propellant gases for aerosol production

HFC – hydrofluorocarbons are the most common group of fluorinated greenhouse gases. They are used in a variety of industries and applications, e.g. as refrigerants in refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump equipment, as foaming agents for the manufacture of foams, as fire extinguishing agents, aerosol propellants and solvents.

PFC – perfluorocarbons are typically used in the electronics industry (e.g. for plasma cleaning of silicon wafers) and in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry (to obtain natural products such as conditioners and flavourings); to a small extent they are also used in refrigeration to replace CFCs – often in combination with other gases. In the past, PFCs were used as fire extinguishing agents and can still be found in older fire protection systems.

SF6 – sulphur hexafluoride is typically used as an insulating gas and for arc fault extinguishing in high-voltage switchgear, and as a shielding gas in magnesium and aluminium production.

More information can be found at:

The website of the Ministry for Climate and Environment

European Commission website

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