Haier leverages Honeywell product

Haier is getting a little help from a friend to boost the energy efficiency of its refrigerators in China. The appliance manufacturer will be leveraging Honeywell's Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent for its low global warming potential of 1 -- 99.9% lower than the common blowing agent HFC-245fa.

"Honeywell is committed to developing technologies that help our customers produce energy-efficient appliances that are great for consumers and better for the environment," said Sanjeev Rastogi, business director for Honeywell Fluorine Products. "For the past three years, we have been working with Haier under their Open Innovation System to transition to Solstice LBA, and we congratulate Haier on being at the forefront of introducing refrigerators that are both highly energy efficient and low in environmental impact."

Solstice LBA is comprised of a closed-cell polyurethane foam insulation, which can achieve an 8 to 10% boost in energy efficiency compared with the oft-used cyclopentane.

The blowing agent, which is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program, is also nonflammable and is not a volatile organic compound.

Production of Solstice LBA at Honeywell's new large-capacity manufacturing plant began in May of this year.