1,1,1-Trifluoroethane, or R-143a or simply trifluoroethane, is a
hydrofluorocarbon
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are synthetic organic compounds that contain fluorine and hydrogen atoms, and are the most common type of organofluorine compounds. Most are gases at room temperature and pressure. They are frequently used in air condit ...
(HFC) compound that is a colorless gas. It should not be confused with the much more commonly used HFC gas
R-134a
1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (also known as norflurane ( INN), R-134a, Klea 134a, Freon 134a, Forane 134a, Genetron 134a, Green Gas, Florasol 134a, Suva 134a, HFA-134a, or HFC-134a) is a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and haloalkane refrigerant with therm ...
, nor confused with the
isomer
In chemistry, isomers are molecules or polyatomic ions with identical molecular formula – that is, the same number of atoms of each element (chemistry), element – but distinct arrangements of atoms in space. ''Isomerism'' refers to the exi ...
ic compound 1,1,2-trifluoroethane. 1,1,1-Trifluoroethane has a
critical temperature
Critical or Critically may refer to:
*Critical, or critical but stable, medical states
**Critical, or intensive care medicine
*Critical juncture, a discontinuous change studied in the social sciences.
*Critical Software, a company specializing in ...
of 73 °C.
Applications
Trifluoroethane is used as a
refrigerant
A refrigerant is a working fluid used in the cooling, heating, or reverse cooling/heating cycles of air conditioning systems and heat pumps, where they undergo a repeated phase transition from a liquid to a gas and back again. Refrigerants are ...
either by itself or more commonly as a component of blended mixtures. It is also used as a propellant in
canned air
A gas duster, also known as compressed air or canned air, is a product used for cleaning or dusting electronic equipment and other sensitive devices that cannot be cleaned using water.
This type of product is most often packaged as a can that, ...
products used to clean electronic equipment.
Environmental effects
Unlike
CFCs
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are fully or partly halogenated hydrocarbons that contain carbon (C), hydrogen (H), chlorine (Cl), and fluorine (F). They are produced as volatile derivatives of methane, ethane, ...
used as refrigerants, trifluoroethane has no chlorine atoms and therefore is not
ozone-depleting. Its high chemical stability and
infra-red
Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those of ...
absorbency make it a potent
greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the gases in the atmosphere that raise the surface temperature of planets such as the Earth. Unlike other gases, greenhouse gases absorb the radiations that a planet emits, resulting in the greenhouse effect. T ...
with a
lifetime of about 50 years and a
global warming potential
Global warming potential (GWP) is a measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere over a specific time period, relative to carbon dioxide (). It is expressed as a multiple of warming caused by the same mass of carbon dioxide ( ...
of 4300, which are at the high end compared to many other commonly used HFC refrigerants.
Its abundance in the atmosphere more than doubled from about 10 parts per trillion (ppt) in 2010 to near 25 ppt in 2020.
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See also
*List of refrigerants
This is a list of refrigerants, sorted by their ASHRAE-designated numbers, commonly known as R numbers. Many modern refrigerants are human-made halogenated gases, especially fluorinated gases and chlorinated gases, that are frequently referred ...
* IPCC list of greenhouse gases
*inhalants
Inhalants are a broad range of household and industrial chemicals whose volatile vapors or pressurized gases can be concentrated and breathed in via the nose or mouth to produce intoxication, in a manner not intended by the manufacturer. They ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trifluoroethane, 1, 1, 1-
Fluoroalkanes
Refrigerants
Hydrofluorocarbons