Abstract
The stricter regulation regarding the use of fluorinated gases (F-gases), as a consequence of their high Global Warming Potential (GWP), represents a challenge for the refrigeration industry. The design of alternatives requires the recycling of the low to moderate GWP compounds from current refrigerant blends. However, there is not a developed and standardized technology available to recover them, and once the life cycle of the refrigeration equipment has ended, most gases are incinerated. Fluorinated ionic liquids (FILs) can effectively perform as absorbents to the complex separation of F-gas mixtures. In this work, a methodology based on the COSMO-RS thermodynamic package integrated into an Aspen Plus process simulator was used to evaluate the performance of an FIL to recover difluoromethane (R-32) from the commercial blend R-407F. The environmental sustainability of the recovery process (circular economy scenario) was analyzed with a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, comparing the obtained results with the conventional R-32 production (benchmark scenario). The results reveal a 30% recovery of 98 wt % R-32 suitable for further reuse with environmental load reduction in the 86–99% range compared to the R-32 production. This study can guide the development of new F-gas recovery technologies to improve the environmental impacts of these compounds from a circular economy perspective.
Highlights
Within the context of the battle against climate change, the impact of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases), and of the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used in the refrigeration industry, is one of the major short-term concerns
COSMO-RS-based simulation results were validated by comparing experimental solubility measurements[26] with those calculated with Aspen Plus
The prediction worsens with the length of the alkyl chain and the pressure, these results have comparable accuracy to those published by other authors in similar studies where the solubility of gases in ionic liquids (ILs) was predicted with COSMO-RS.[23,41,42]
Summary
Within the context of the battle against climate change, the impact of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases), and of the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used in the refrigeration industry, is one of the major short-term concerns. These gases are capable of reaching a global warming potential (GWP) thousands of times the CO2 value and have a long atmospheric lifetime. The contribution of F-gases is projected to triple from nearly 2% to around 6% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.1 On this account, the Kigali’s amendment to the Montreal Protocol, entered into force in 2019, includes a global compromise to limit HFCs refrigerants’ production to reduce the expected half a degree temperature increase due to F-gases by 2100.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
