R290 is purified propane used as a refrigerant. With excellent efficiency and a tiny climate impact, it’s becoming a cornerstone of sustainable cooling and heating — provided it’s handled with the right care.
Key properties
- Type: A3 (higher flammability) natural hydrocarbon
- GWP: around 3 — negligible climate impact
- Applications: self-contained refrigeration, monobloc and high-temperature heat pumps, display cabinets
Why it’s popular
R290 offers superb thermodynamic efficiency and is completely unaffected by the F-Gas phase-down, making it a genuinely future-proof choice. It can also reach high flow temperatures, which suits heat pumps replacing gas boilers.
Handling and safety
As an A3 refrigerant, R290 is flammable, so it’s used in equipment designed with small, sealed charges and safety features. Engineers need appropriate training, A3-rated tools, good ventilation and ignition-source control during any service work.
FAQ
Is R290 just propane? It’s refrigerant-grade propane — highly purified to remove moisture and contaminants that would harm a refrigeration system.
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