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October 11, 2006—The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has approved more stringent refrigerant purity standards which limit the level of unsaturated impurities in the refrigerant HFC-134a. This standard contains the new specification to limit unsaturated impurities in HFC-134a to a maximum level of 40 ppm. Standard J2776 was approved by SAE and published in October 2006.

The term "unsaturated" refers to the types of bonds within some molecules contained in the refrigerant. Molecules that contain double bonds are called unsaturated. Double bonds in unsaturated molecules are more chemically reactive than single bonds.

Why is the unsaturated impurity level a concern to you, the customer?
The double bonds increase the chance of chemical instability and the likelihood that the refrigerant will contain contaminants that often contribute to the formation of sludge or tar. Some suppliers obtain refrigerant that contains impurities that are harmful to a cooling system and can cause mechanical problems. This can result in loss of cooling and expensive repairs or the need to replace the damaged equipment.

What can you expect from DuPont Refrigerants?
DuPont has very high purity standards to eliminate the possibility of impurities and the problems they can cause for customers. DuPont refrigerants already:

• Meet SAE Standard J2776
• Meet ARI Standard 700-2006 Specifications for Fluorocarbon Refrigerants

Can you say that about all refrigerants currently on the market?
We believe it is beneficial for an equipment owner to purchase clean, high-quality refrigerant in order to minimize the possibility of system failures and related problems.

For more information on these standards, please visit SAE at www.sae.org.

November 15, 2006—ARI Standard 700 now includes a specification which includes a maximum allowable level of 40 ppm unsaturated impurities in R-134a and other refrigerants. The new purity specification has been completed and is currently being published as ARI 700-2006. The accompanying analytical test methods which support the new Purity Standard are expected to be published before the end of November as ARI 700 Appendix C-2006. Once completed, they will be posted to ARI web site at www.ari.org.

This reinforces that the refrigeration and air conditioning industries recognize and acknowledge that refrigerant purity is critically important and this new specification is directed to the influx of R-134a and other refrigerants that have entered the U.S. market with high unsaturated impurities. Specific unsaturated impurities, e.g., those that have been identified in some R-134a, are suspected of contributing to formation of solids which can lead to pluggage, loss of heat transfer and overall can be detrimental to performance and equipment life.

This is a good reminder for you and your customers to purchase your refrigerant needs from a reputable supplier to assure quality and reliable performance and that it meets specifications as outlined in ARI 700-2006.