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Recyclers News Press

Page 17

Recovery of the New Refrigerant R-1234yf

In addition, several independent authorities evaluated the

safety of the product in vehicles and some concluded it

was as safe to use as R-134a used in cars today.

In December 2012, tests by Mercedes-Benz showed that

the substance ignited when researchers sprayed it and A/

C compressor oil onto a car's hot engine. Stefan Geyer, a

senior Daimler engineer who ran the tests, stated

"We

were frozen in shock, I am not going to deny it. We need-

ed a day to comprehend what we had just seen."

Combustion occurred in more than two thirds of simulated

head-on collisions. The engineers also noticed etching on

the windshield caused by the corrosive gases. BMW, and

VW-Audi agreed with Mercedes and left the SAE R-1234yf

CRP Team, stating that the performed tests are not suffi-

cient to fully judge the safety of their vehicles. The German

Automakers have been leaning towards carbon dioxide

refrigerant that is safer for both passengers and the envi-

ronment.