WT69, a new refrigerant designed to replace R23 in deep-freeze applications ahead of the introduction of new EU refrigerant regulation / F-gas Regulation 517/2014 on 1st January 2020, was showcased at Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2019.
The result of several years of development by Weiss Technik and Dresden University of Technology, WT69 has a global warning potential (GWP) value of 1357, representing a 90% reduction in GWP on the outgoing R23 refrigerant. This makes WT69 appropriate for use in deep-freeze applications reaching temperatures as low as -70°C (-94°F).
The release of WT69 follows more than 100,000 hours of testing in 20 system configurations over a period of three years. By the end of the this year, WT69, which is non-toxic, non-flammable and non-corrosive, will be used in all compact ClimeEvent standard climate test chambers with a cooling rate of 3-5K. From 2020, vibration cabinets and larger climate test chambers with temperature-changing rates of up to 20K will also use this new refrigerant.
“WT69 isn’t just another refrigerant, it’s a real innovation for deep-freeze applications and a real replacement for R23,” said Janko Förster, head of product management, Weiss Technik. “It fulfills technological, ecological and economic demands perfectly.”