Global Warming Potentials of ODS Substitutes

The global warming potential (GWP) represents how much a given mass of a chemical contributes to global warming over a given time period compared to the same mass of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide's GWP is defined as 1.0.

Why are there three values given for the GWP and atmospheric lifetime?: All GWP values represent global warming potential over a 100-year time horizon. Dashes indicate that the source did not include a GWP value for the given compound. The first value in each of the second and third columns is from Table 1-6 of the Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion, 2002. The second and third values in each of these columns are from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) Second Assessment Report: Climate Change 1995 and the IPCC Third Assessment Report: Climate Change 2001, respecively.

For more specific information on how many of these chemicals are used as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances, please visit the SNAP Program's web site.

The HFCs are numbered according to the ASHRAE Standard 34 scheme. None of the chemicals listed below depletes the ozone layer. GWP values for ozone-depleting substances are available in another table.

HFCs and PFCs

Chemical	Atmospheric Lifetime	GWP	Use
HFC-23 (CHF ₃)	270 264 260	12240 11700 12000	Byproduct of HCFC-22 used in very-low temperature refrigeration blend and component in fire suppression. Also used for plasma etching and cleaning in semiconductor production.
HFC-32 (CH ₂F ₂)	4.9 5.6 5.0	543 650 550	Blend component of numerous refrigerants.
HFC-41 (CH ₃F)	2.4 3.7 2.6	90 150 97	Not in use today.
HFC-43-10mee (C ₅H ₂F ₁₀)	15.9 17.1 15	1610 1300 1500	Cleaning solvent
HFC-125 (C ₂HF ₅)	29 32.6 29	3450 2800 3400	Blend component of numerous refrigerants and a fire suppressant.
HFC-134 (C ₂H ₂F ₄)	9.6 10.6 9.6	1090 1000 1100	Not in use today.
HFC-134a (CH ₂FCF ₃)	14 14.6 13.8	1320 1300 1300	One of the most widely used refrigerant blends, component of other refrigerants, foam blowing agent, fire suppressant and propellant in metered-dose inhalers and aerosols.
HFC-143 (C ₂H ₃F ₃)	3.5 3.8 3.4	347 300 330	Not in use today.
HFC-143a (C ₂H ₃F ₃)	52 48.3 52	4400 3800 4300	Blend component of several refrigerant blends.
HFC-152a (C ₂H ₄F ₂)	1.4 1.5 1.4	122 140 120	Blend component of several refrigerant blends and foam blowing agent. Also used as an aerosol propellant.
HFC-227ea (C ₃HF ₇)	34.2 36.5 33.0	3660 2900 3500	Fire suppressant and propellant for metered-dose inhalers, and refrigerant.
HFC-236fa (C ₃H ₂F ₆)	240 209 220	9650 6300 9400	Refrigerant and fire suppressant.
HFC-236ea (C ₃H ₂F ₆)	10.7 -- 10.0	1350 -- 1200	Not in use today.
HFC-245ca (C ₃H ₃F ₅)	6.2 6.6 5.9	682 560 640	Not in use today; possible refrigerant in the future.
HFC-245fa (C ₃H ₃F ₅)	7.6 -- 7.2	1020 -- 950	Foam blowing agent and possible refrigerant in the future.
HFC-365mfc (C ₄H ₅F ₅)	8.6 -- 9.9	782 -- 950	Some use as a foam blowing agent; possible refrigerant in the future.
Perfluoromethane (CF ₄)	50000 50000 50000	5820 6500 5700	Plasma etching and cleaning in semiconductor production and low temperature refrigerant.
Perfluoroethane (C ₂F ₆)	10000 10000 10000	12010 9200 11900	Plasma etching and cleaning in semiconductor production.
Perfluoropropane (C ₃F ₈)	2600 2600 2600	8690 7000 8600	Plasma etching and cleaning in semiconductor production, low temperature refrigerant and fire suppressant.
Perfluorobutane (C ₄F ₁₀)	2600 2600 2600	8710 7000 8600	Fire suppressant and refrigerant where no other alternatives are technically feasible.
Perfluorocyclobutane (c-C ₄F ₈)	3200 3200 3200	10090 8700 10000	Not used much if any. Refrigerant where no other alternatives are technically feasible.
Perfluoropentane (C ₅F ₁₂)	4100 4100 4100	9010 7500 8900	Not used much if any. Precision cleaning solvent-low use refrigerant where no other alternatives are technially feasible.
Perfluorohexane (C ₆F ₁₄)	3200 3200 3200	9140 7400 9000	Precision cleaning solvent-low use, refrigerant and fire suppressant where no other alternatives are technially feasible.

NF3

Chemical	Atmospheric Lifetime	GWP	Use
NF ₃	740 -- --	10970 -- --	Plasma etching and cleaning in semiconductor production.

SF6

Chemical	Atmospheric Lifetime	GWP	Use
Sulfur hexafluoride (SF ₆)	3200 3200 3200	22450 23900 22200	Cover gas in magnesium production, casting dielectric gas and insulator in electric power equipment fire suppression. Also used as a discharge agent in military systems and formerly an aerosol propellant.

HFEs

Chemical	Life-time	GWP	Use
HFE-7100 (C ₄F ₉OCH ₃)	5.0 -- 5.0	397 -- 390	Cleaning solvent and heat transfer fluid.
HFE-7200 (C ₄F ₉OC ₂H ₅)	0.77 -- 0.77	56 -- 55	Cleaning solvent and heat transfer fluid.

Global Warming Potentials of ODS Substitutes

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