Trifluoroethane is the third generation refrigerant and the industry will have good development momentum in 2021

Trifluoroethane, also known as 1,1,1-trifluoroethane, R143a, has a chemical formula of C2H3F3. It appears as a colorless gas under normal temperature and pressure, with a slight odor. It can be liquefied under pressure and can be stored in steel cylinders. Trifluoroethane has stable chemical properties at room temperature and pressure, is insoluble in water, and is easy to burn. When mixed with air, there is a danger of explosion when exposed to high heat or open flames. It can decompose when heated, and the decomposition product is toxic hydrogen fluoride gas.

The main preparation methods of trifluoroethane include: gas phase fluorination synthesis method, using monofluorodichloroethane (HCFC-141b) as raw material, adding activated carbon as catalyst, and reacting with hydrogen fluoride; liquid phase fluorination synthesis method, using 1,1,1-Trifluoro-2-chloroethane (HCFC-133a) is used as raw material, alcohol amine or phosphorus ligand, copper or nickel compound is added as catalyst, and oxidized with magnesium, zinc, aluminum, tin and other metal elements. It is prepared by reduction reaction; it is prepared by reacting vinylidene chloride and anhydrous hydrogen fluoride as raw materials.

Trifluoroethane is mainly used as a refrigerant and can also be used as an aerosol propellant. Trifluoroethane is a third-generation hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) refrigerant with zero ODP (ozone depletion potential). It can be used alone as a refrigerant or in combination with other refrigerants to prepare R-404A , R-408A, R-507A and other mixed refrigerants. R502 is the second generation refrigerant, which is made from a mixture of R22 and R115. It is a medium-temperature refrigerant with excellent performance. The performance of the mixed refrigerant with trifluoroethane as a component is close to it, and it is relatively environmentally friendly and can be substituted. R502 refrigerant is used.

The main trifluoroethane production enterprises in my country include: Inner Mongolia Yonghe Fluorochemical Co., Ltd., whose trifluoroethane production capacity is 20,000 tons/year; Shandong Lianchuang Energy Saving New Materials Co., Ltd., whose trifluoroethane production capacity is 12,000 tons / year; Zhejiang Juhua Co., Ltd., its trifluoroethane production capacity is 4,000 tons / year, etc.

According to the “Trifluoroethane Industry In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report 2021-2025” released by the Industrial Research Center, In late July 2021, my country’s trifluoroethane market quotation was around 37,000 yuan/ton. By early August, it had increased to 46,000 yuan/ton. In mid-November, my country’s trifluoroethane market quotation was around 65,000 yuan/ton. Around tons. Since mid-November, supply and demand in my country’s refrigerant market have been stable, and prices have fallen overall. However, from the perspective of 2021, the development trend of my country’s trifluoroethane industry is good.

Industry analysts said that trifluoroethane is a third-generation refrigerant. The ODP of the third-generation refrigerant is zero, but the GWP (global warming potential) is high and will eventually be replaced by new products with better environmental protection in the future. However, over a long period of time, the second-largest refrigerants with poor environmental protection have gradually withdrawn from the market. However, the fourth-generation refrigerants are limited by factors such as technology, cost, and production capacity. It will take time to expand the market. Therefore, the second-generation refrigerants will be a mainstream product in the market. Trifluoroethane can be mixed with other refrigerants to make new refrigerants with excellent performance, and has good future development prospects.