DuPont, Honeywell In Refrigerant Alliance

DuPont and Honeywell plan to share resources and technology to come up with a universal fluorinated refrigerant to meet strict new European regulations on automotive air conditioners that take effect in 2011. Their goal is to identify, develop, test, and qualify a practical refrigerant that has a lower potential to contribute to global warming than hydrofluorocarbon-134a, the current workhorse gas. A leading contender to replace 134a is simple carbon dioxide. However, DuPont says fluorinated compounds such as DP-1, one of its candidates, are more energy efficient and thus would lead to fewer greenhouse gas emissions.