Research Council for Refrigeration Technology publishes position statement on PFAS-regulation

Frankfurt, Germany, 10 July 2023: The PFAS Working Group of the Research Council for Refrigeration Technology, in its position statement, “Significance of the proposed PFAS-regulation for the refrigeration industry”, presented the most important consequences of the proposed regulation of PFAS group of materials, via Annex XV of the REACH regulation. Making the announcement through a Press release, the Council said the consequences were investigated by a previous survey among the members.

According to the Council, the survey identified wide-ranging fields in which companies in the refrigeration industry are affected by the restriction. The four main sectors are:

1) Construction and coatings or parts used for components, which ensure safe and energy efficient function as well as reduction of material consumption and wear.

2) Gasket materials and sealing systems of many types, which provide safe operation and allow easy exchange and repair of parts, thus preventing the release of harmful substances that can leak from the system and pollute the environment.

3) Electrotechnical and electronic components – that is, motors, sensors, switches and cables – needed for drivers and controls of components and systems.

4) Refrigerants that represent the best possible choice for refrigeration and heat pumps systems in particular applications under given circumstances, taking into account the material consumption, energy efficiency, system safety and ecological effect.

“We see that PFAS-containing materials play a central role in the safe and functional operation of refrigeration systems and heat pumps,” said Felix Flohr, of Daikin Chemical Europe, who chairs the Working Group. “How these functions can be replaced is still unclear.” In principle, the Council said, it supports the goal of better protecting the environment and people from risks posed by chemicals. However, refrigeration technology is indispensable in many critical infrastructure applications and, thus, systemically relevant, the Council said. Without exemptions for the applications mentioned, there are significant risks in the affected areas of society, the Council said, adding that these include, for example, hospitals, data centres, industrial and energy facilities, and the entire cold chain for foods.