Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced that Midea, a leading Chinese appliance manufacturer, will adopt Honeywell's next-generation Solstice™ Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA) to insulate Midea refrigerators and freezers.
Use of the lower-global-warming potential blowing agent will allow Midea to meet current and future energy efficiency and environmental regulations. Blowing agents are integral materials for energy efficient closed-cell foam used to insulate refrigerators.
"Honeywell is committed to developing technologies that help our customers produce energy-efficient appliances that are great for consumers and better for the environment," said Sanjeev Rastogi, business director for Honeywell Fluorine Products. "We are delighted to help Midea manufacture products that benefit from our expertise in developing and supplying high-performance, energy-efficient, and low-environmental-impact solutions."
Midea is currently transitioning from the use of a cyclopentane, a hydrocarbon blowing agent, to blends of cyclopentane and Enovate® 245fa, Honeywell's current generation blowing agent, to improve the energy efficiency of its appliances. Subject to the terms of a pending final agreement between the two companies, Midea will continue to increase its use of Enovate 245a, but will also adopt Solstice LBA beginning in 2014 to insulate refrigerators and freezers to be manufactured in China.
"Midea is committed being a leader in the manufacture of energy-efficient appliances," said Eric Wang, president of Midea's refrigerator and freezer division. "Midea's planned use of Enovate 245fa and Solstice LBA will provide them with the lowest-cost route to meet current and future energy standards."
Blowing agents from Honeywell allow closed-cell polyurethane foam insulation to expand, and provide the majority of the foam's excellent insulating properties. These blowing agents can be used in a wide range of applications, including spray foam insulation, insulated architectural panels, and refrigerated shipping containers.
Enovate is a non-flammable hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) blowing agent that does not deplete the ozone layer. Honeywell introduced Enovate 245fa in 2002 and supplies it to a range of industries, from appliance insulation to spray foam.
Solstice LBA is a next-generation blowing agent with a global warming potential (GWP) of 1 that is listed under the EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program. Solstice LBA is nonflammable and is not a volatile organic compound. Honeywell is currently building world-scale production capacity for Solstice LBA that is expected to come on line in early 2014.
In addition to Solstice LBA, Honeywell's family of Solstice-branded products includes stationary and mobile refrigerants, gaseous blowing agents, propellants, and solvents based on Honeywell's new hydrofluoro-olefin technology that helps customers lower their carbon footprint without sacrificing end-product performance.
The Solstice products have been developed and are being commercialized by Honeywell's Fluorine Products business, a leader in the manufacture and supply of zero ozone-depleting refrigerants used by top air-conditioning and refrigeration makers worldwide, and blowing agents for energy-efficient foam insulation, as well as hydrofluoric acid and precursors for nuclear fuel.