1-Chloro-1,1-difluoroethane (HCFC-142b) is a haloalkane with the chemical formula CH3CClF2. It belongs to the hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) family of man-made compounds that contribute significantly to both ozone depletion and global warming when released into the environment. It is primarily used as a refrigerant where it is also known as R-142b and by trade names including Freon-142b.[1]
1-Chloro-1,1-difluoroethane is a highly flammable, colorless gas under most atmospheric conditions. It has a boiling point of -10 °C.[2] Its critical temperature is near 137 °C.
HCFC-142b is used as a refrigerant, as a blowing agent for foam plastics production, and as feedstock to make polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).[3] It was introduced to replace the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that were initially undergoing a phase-out per the Montreal Protocol, but HCFCs still have a significant ozone-depletion ability. As of year 2020, HCFC's are replaced by non ozone depleting HFCs within many applications.[4]
In the United States, the EPA stated that HCFCs could be used in "processes that result in the transformation or destruction of the HCFCs", such as using HCFC-142b as a feedstock to make PVDF. HCFCs could also be used in equipment that was manufactured before January 1, 2010.[5] The point of these new regulations was to phase-out HCFCs in much the same way that CFCs were phased out. HCFC-142b production in non article 5 countries like the United States was banned on January 1, 2020, under the Montreal Protocol.[4]
According to the Alternative Fluorocarbons Environmental Acceptability Study (AFEAS), in 2006 global production (excluding India and China who did not report production data) of HCFC-142b was 33,779 metric tons and an increase in production from 2006 to 2007 of 34%.[6]
For the most part, concentrations of HCFCs in the atmosphere match the emission rates that were reported by industries. The exception to this is HCFC-142b which had a higher concentration than the emission rates suggest it should.[7]
The concentration of HCFC-142b in the atmosphere grew to over 20 parts per trillion by year 2010. It has an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of 0.07.[8] This is low compared to the ODP=1 of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11, R-11), which also grew about ten times more abundant in the atmosphere by year 1985 (prior to introduction of HCFC-142b and the Montreal Protocol).
HCFC-142b is also a minor but potent greenhouse gas. It has an estimated lifetime of about 17 years and a 100-year global warming potential ranging 2300 to 5000.[9] [10] This compares to the GWP=1 of carbon dioxide, which had a much greater atmospheric concentration near 400 parts per million in year 2020.