Which gas is used as cooling agent in refrigerator?

As you’ll probably be aware by now, most modern refrigerators use a gas called a refrigerant to cool your food, vegetables, drinks and other perishables. This refrigerant flows through coils, alternating between liquid and vapour as it’s compressed and evaporated, pulling heat from inside the fridge and expelling it via the back. But what exactly is this cooling gas, and how has it changed over time? To clear things up once and for all, here we’ll explain which gas is used as the cooling agent in refrigerators.

Which gas is used as a cooling agent in refrigerators?

Refrigerators have come a long way from early mechanical cooling systems to the advanced, energy-efficient appliances that reliably and sustainably preserve food. Historically, gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were commonly used as refrigerants due to their efficiency and low production costs. Over time, however, these compounds were found to harm the Earth’s ozone layer, leading to stringent international regulations and a shift toward safer alternatives.

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Today, most modern refrigerators take advantage of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants as cooling agents, and among these, the two most widely used are HFC-134a (also known as R-134a) and R-600a.

HFC-134a (Tetrafluoroethane) is a popular and widely employed refrigerant in modern refrigerators across the world because it condenses well, allowing the appliance to cool the food effectively without causing harm to the ozone layer. While it does have some global warming risks, it is also considerably safer than earlier CFC-based refrigerants. 

In recent years, R-600a has taken over as the leading refrigerant in modern household refrigerators. This hydrocarbon-based gas is extremely energy-efficient and has a low global warming potential (GWP). It also happens to be far more environmentally conscious, which is why it is now the most common choice amongst major refrigerator brands. So the next time you walk past your fridge, you’ll know exactly what’s keeping it cool.