Hyderabad: By 2020, the Indian market will have air-conditioners, fridges, fire extinguishers and other products using non-harmful hydroflourocarbon [sic, hydrofluorocarbon] (HFC) gases instead of harmful chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases thanks to the scientists at the IICT, Hyderabad, who invented two HFC substitutes that can replace the harmful fluoro-chemcials used for refrigeration.

“HFC-134A, a refrigerant gas and a well recommended substitute for the ozone-depleting CFC, as well as HFC-227ea, a fire-extinguishing gas and a substitute for halons, are the inventions of our (CSIR-IICT) fluororganic division scientists. This will be taken up commercially to create CFC-free products,” said Dr B. Narasaiah, convener of the 2nd International Symposium on Fluorine Chemistry (IISFC-2014).

“The harmful effects of CFC cannot be ignored despite its uses. Therefore, our HFC gas processing inventions are being adapted for a larger commercial role,” added the scientist.

SRF, a New Delhi-based company, that makes HFC products and enjoys 40 per cent of the Indian market, and Surat-based NFI have adopted HFC for commercialisation. “These firms gave Rs 1 crore each for the research at IICT,” said Dr Narasaiah.

CFC gases are known  to have connections with diseases like cancer.

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