EARTH Researchers Publish New Study on Low-GWP Refrigerants to Advance Sustainable Cooling
Lawrence, Kansas — December 8, 2025 — Researchers from the U.S. National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center, Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH) at the University of Kansas have published a significant new study on next-generation low-GWP refrigerants. The team includes EARTH Graduate Student and Self Fellow, Clarice M. Sabolay; Dr. Mark B. Shiflett, Director of EARTH and Director of the Wonderful Institute for Sustainable Engineering; and Wonderful Institute for Sustainable Engineering graduate, Lokesh S. Valluru.
Their paper, “Model Comparison of Performance, Operating and Capital Cost, and Environmental Impact for HFC-32/HFO-1234yf Mixtures as a Low Global Warming Alternative to R-410A,” was published in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. The study offers one of the most comprehensive evaluations to date of the performance, environmental impact, and cost considerations involved in transitioning from R-410A to more sustainable refrigerants.
Advancing the Transition to Cleaner Refrigerants
With heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) systems accounting for more than 50% of building energy consumption in the United States, improving the environmental impact of refrigerants is a key priority. Traditional refrigerants such as R-410A have high global warming potentials, and global policies, including the U.S. AIM Act and the Kigali Amendment, require a phasedown of these compounds.
EARTH’s new publication closely examines mixtures of HFC-32 and HFO-1234yf, including the widely discussed replacement refrigerant R-454B, alongside pure HFC-32. Using detailed vapor-compression cycle modeling and cost analyses, the authors evaluate how different blend compositions affect energy efficiency (COP), capital and operating costs, heat-transfer behavior, and total equivalent warming impact (TEWI).
Key Findings
Higher HFC-32 compositions, including R-454B and pure HFC-32, deliver higher energy efficiency and lower energy costs compared with R-410A.
These blends also reduce environmental impact, lowering CO₂ emissions through both direct effects (leakage) and indirect effects (energy consumption).
R-454B demonstrates strong heat-transfer performance, while pure HFC-32 provides the highest overall thermodynamic efficiency.
Global adoption of refrigerants such as R-454B and HFC-32 could lead to billions of metric tons of CO₂ emissions avoided each year.
This research provides crucial guidance for regulators, equipment manufacturers, and building system designers as the refrigeration and HVAC industries prepare for broad adoption of A2L refrigerants starting in 2026.
About EARTH Engineering Research Center
This work was conducted within the Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH), an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center. EARTH is dedicated to revolutionizing how refrigerants are formulated, manufactured, applied, monitored, and recycled to dramatically reduce the environmental footprint of the global cooling sector.
EARTH operates within the Wonderful Institute for Sustainable Engineering (WISE) at the University of Kansas, bringing together interdisciplinary teams to advance breakthrough technologies in refrigerant chemistry, leak detection, electrochemical cooling, dehumidification, and sustainable systems engineering.