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Jack E Hurst

Alan P Cohen

Maryellen Lavin

MaryEllen Lavin

Difluoromethane (R-32) is of current interest as a partial replacement for chlorodifluoromethane (R-22) refrigerant heretofore widely used in vapor compression refrigeration systems. R-32 has, however, proved to be more reactive than is desirable with the zeolite A adsorbent-desiccant compositions used in such systems to prevent corrosion and freeze-up problems. The potassium cation form of a zeolite A molecular sieve&mdash;with at least 60 percent of the sodium cations replaced with potassium ions, agglomerated with a clay binder, and pore-reduced to essentially exclude the adsorption of R-32 having essentially no reactivity with difluoromethane, and having a surface ratio of silicon to aluminum of less than about 1.7 mol/mol as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy&mdash;has been found to be an effective desiccant for refrigerants comprising difluoromethane.

Desiccant for drying CH2F2 refrigerant utilizing zeolite

Process for drying CH2F2 refrigerant utilizing zeolite

Difluoromethane (R-32) is of current interest as a partial replacement for chlorodifluoromethane (R-22) refrigerant heretofore widely used in vapor compression refrigeration systems. R-32 has, however, proved to be more reactive than is desirable with the zeolite A adsorbent-desiccant compositions used in such systems to prevent corrosion and freeze-up problems. The potassium cation form of a zeolite A molecular sieve--with at least 60 per cent of the sodium cations replaced with potassium ions, agglomerated with a clay binder and pore-reduced to essentially exclude the adsorption of R-32, and having essentially no reactivity with difluoromethane--has been found to be an effective desiccant for refrigerants comprising difluoromethane.

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Leverkusen, Germany

Jack E Hurst