globalFACT’s Executive Director, Jordan Smith, speaks with refrigerants expert Dr. Richard Powell about so-called “natural” refrigerants.

They discuss common misperceptions, safety considerations, environmental impacts, the future of refrigerants, and other topics.

Dr. Richard Powell holds a BSc and PhD in chemistry from King’s College, London. He worked on specialty fluorine chemicals at ICI Mond Division, Runcorn, before moving into ICI’s program to develop hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs) fluids as replacements for the ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Dr. Powell has conducted research on high-temperature heat pump fluids and replacements for ozone depleting fluids, and set up ICI’s refrigerant application lab. He is a consultant to Refrigerant Solutions Ltd, developing the “REFSOL” (RS) range of HFC blends that can be retrofitted into existing CFC and HCFC equipment. He has also developed RS HFC/HFO blends to replace higher GWP HFC refrigerants.

Download the full interview here.