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AssigneeUniversity of New Mexico
InventorRobert E. Tapscott
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A set of tropodegradable chemical additives to decrease the flammability of normally flammable refrigerants, foam blowing agents, cleaning solvents, aerosol propellants, and sterilants is disclosed. The additives are characterized by high efficiency and short atmospheric lifetimes. The latter property is essential and results in a low ozone depletion potential (ODP) and a low global warming potential (GWP). The additives are bromine-containing alkenes, bromine-containing alcohols, bromine-containing ethers with at least one hydrogen atom adjacent to the oxygen atom, bromine-containing amines with at least one hydrogen atom adjacent to the nitrogen atom, bromine-containing carbonyl compounds, bromine-containing aromatics, and/or bromine-containing non-fluorinated alkanes.
A method of reducing or eliminating the flammability of a refrigerant to be used as the working fluid in a vapor compression refrigerator, air conditioner, or heat pump, wherein said refrigerant comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs or FCs), and ammonia (NH.sub.3), said method comprising the steps of:
A refrigerant mixture to be used as a working fluid in a vapor compression refrigerator, air conditioner, or heat pump comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.