– Refrigerant
A refrigerant in air conditioner is a natural gas or chemical blend used in the refrigeration cycle of air conditioning systems and heat pumps.
Refrigerant is used for its ability to change from liquid to gas. During the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant absorbs heat inside and releases it outside (or the other way around in the case of heat pumps, which can reverse the cycle to provide heating).
The most common refrigerants used in air conditioning systems are R410A, also known as Puron, and R32, which was developed primarily to reduce the impact of hydrocarbons on the environment. R410A is to be phased out and replaced with lower global-warming potential (GWP) refrigerants such as R32. No new air conditioners or heat pumps will contain R410A beginning in 2023.
