Honeywell announced that $33 million investment will be made in its manufacturing facility located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The investment will help to produce a new low-global-warming-potential (GWP) propellant and blowing agent, HFO-1234ze. HFO-1234ze is a non-ozone depleting, non-flammable material used in aerosols and insulation. The material has a GWP of 6 and it is currently used in Japan, Europe and the U.S.
The investment will enable commercial-scale production of the HFO-1234ze at the Baton Rouge plant and the production will commence in late 2013. The HFO-1234ze can be used as an alternative to HFC-152a and HFC-134a in thermal insulating foams such as extruded polystyrene board and aerosols. In addition, it is also expected to replace the HFC-134a material for application in large stationary refrigeration.
Baton Rouge facility has been manufacturing materials based on the energy efficiency and comfort needs of the consumers. Honeywell’s investment will help the company to address the growing customer demand for the HFO-1234ze material worldwide. The material is environmentally-friendly, economical, safe and energy efficient than the other existing materials. The HFO-1234ze low-global-warming material has been acknowledged by the Paris Aerosol Forum as the most excellent technical product innovation in early 2011.
Honeywell has developed hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) that provide equivalent performance attributes to the current aerosol propellants, blowing agents and refrigerants. But, the HFOs have an additional benefit of low global warming.
Source: http://www.honeywellnow.com/