For HVAC use, there are 100+ refrigerants on the market. Whenever you need to choose the right type of refrigerant, so many R-xxx (these are ASHRAE-designated numbers) can be quite messy. That’s why we have finally, once and for all, created an all-encompassing overview of refrigerants.
We have 16 different types of refrigerants in use today. First, we are going to look at the overview refrigerant type chart, listing all 16 types of refrigerants.
Further on, we have created refrigerant lists for every freon type; HCFC refrigerant list, HFC refrigerant list, HFO refrigerant list, and so on all along to the natural refrigerant list.
Here is the overview of 16 types of freon:
| Refrigerant Type: | Chemical Nomenclature: | Atoms Present In Refrigerant: |
| HCFC | HydroChloroFluoroCarbons | H, Cl, F, C |
| HCFO | HydroChloroFluoroOlefins | H, Cl, F, C |
| HFC | HydroFluoroCarbons | H, F, C |
| HFO | HydroFluoroOlefins | H, F, C |
| HCC | HydroChloroCarbons | H, Cl, C |
| HCO | HydroChloroOlefins | H, Cl, C |
| HC | HydroCarbons | H, C |
| HO | HydroOlefins | F, C |
| CFC | ChloroFluoroCarbons | Cl, F, C |
| CFO | ChloroFluoroOlefins | Cl, F, C |
| PFC | PerFluoroCarbons | F, C |
| PFO | PerFluoroOlefins | F, C |
| PCC | PerChloroCarbons | Cl, C |
| PCO | PerChloroOlefins | Cl, C |
| H | Halons | Br, Cl (in some but not all), F, H (in some but not all), C |
| Natural Refrigerants | Various Molecules | NH3, He, Ar, O2, N2, Ne, Air, H2O, etc. |
As we can see, the refrigerant type categorization is based on what atoms refrigerants are made out of.
Example: R-22 is an HCFC refrigerant (HydroChloroFluoroCarbon with molecular formula CHClF2) because it is comprised of:
- Hydrogen atoms (H in CHClF2).
- Chlorine atoms (Cl in CHClF2).
- Fluorine atoms (F in CHClF2).
- Carbon atoms (C in CHClF2).
This is just to explain why we have these different types of refrigerant gases and liquids.
Let’s now look at all 16 categories of refrigerants type-by-type (they are color-coded, based on this chart above). We’ll start with the 1st HCFC refrigerant list, and move one-by-one to the 16th natural refrigerant list:
1. List Of HCFC Refrigerants
As mentioned above, HCFC or HydroChloroFluoroCarbon refrigerants are comprised of hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine, and carbon atoms. Here is the full HCFC freon list with common refrigerants like R-22, R-401A, and R-406A in bolded letters:
| HCFC Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-21 | Dichlorofluoromethane | CHFCl2 |
| R-22 | Chlorodifluoromethane | CHClF2 |
| R-31 | Chlorofluoromethane | CH2FCl |
| R-121 | 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloro-1-fluoroethane | C2HFCl4 |
| R-121a | 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloro-2-fluoroethane | C2HFCl4 |
| R-122 | 1,1,2-Trichloro-2,2-difluoroethane | C2HF2Cl3 |
| R-122a | 1,1,2-Trichloro-1,2-difluoroethane | C2HF2Cl3 |
| R-122b | 1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-difluoroethane | C2HF2Cl3 |
| R-123 | 2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane | C2HF3Cl2 |
| R-123a | 1,2-Dichloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethane | C2HF3Cl2 |
| R-123b | 1,1-Dichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane | C2HF3Cl2 |
| R-124 | 1-Chloro-1,2,2,2-tetrafluoroethane | C2HF4Cl |
| R-124a | 1-Chloro-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane | C2HF4Cl |
| R-131 | 1,1,2-Trichloro-2-fluoroethane | C2H2FCl3 |
| R-131a | 1,1,2-Trichloro-1-fluoroethane | C2H2FCl3 |
| R-131b | 1,1,1-Trichloro-2-fluoroethane | C2H2FCl3 |
| R-132 | Dichlorodifluoroethane | C2H2F2Cl2 |
| R-132a | 1,1-Dichloro-2,2-difluoroethane | C2H2F2Cl2 |
| R-132b | 1,2-Dichloro-1,1-difluoroethane | C2H2F2Cl2 |
| R-132c | 1,1-Dichloro-1,2-difluoroethane | C2H2F2Cl2 |
| R-133 | 1-Chloro-1,2,2-Trifluoroethane | C2H2F3Cl |
| R-133a | 1-Chloro-2,2,2-Trifluoroethane | C2H2F3Cl |
| R-133b | 1-Chloro-1,1,2-Trifluoroethane | C2H2F3Cl |
| R-141 | 1,2-Dichloro-1-fluoroethane | C2H3FCl2 |
| R-141a | 1,1-Dichloro-2-fluoroethane | C2H3FCl2 |
| R-141b | 1,1-Dichloro-1-fluoroethane | C2H3FCl2 |
| R-142a | 1-Chloro-1,2-difluoroethane | C2H3F2Cl |
| R-142b | 1-Chloro-1,1-difluoroethane | C2H3F2Cl |
| R-151 | 1-Chloro-2-fluoroethane | C2H4ClF |
| R-151a | 1-Chloro-1-fluoroethane | C2H4ClF |
| R-221 | 1,1,1,2,2,3-Hexachloro-3-fluoropropane | C3HFCl6 |
| R-222 | Pentachlorodifluoropropane | C3HF2Cl5 |
| R-223 | Tetrachlorotrifluoropropane | C3HF3Cl4 |
| R-224 | Trichlorotetrafluoropropane | C3HF4Cl3 |
| R-225 | Dichloropentafluoropropane | C3HF5Cl2 |
| R-226 | Chlorohexafluoropropane | C3HF6Cl |
| R-231 | Pentachlorofluoropropane | C3H2FCl5 |
| R-232 | Tetrachlorodifluoropropane | C3H2F2Cl4 |
| R-233 | Trichlorotrifluoropropane | C3H2F3Cl3 |
| R-234 | Dichlorotetrafluoropropane | C3H2F4Cl2 |
| R-235 | Chloropentafluoropropane | C3H2F5Cl |
| R-241 | Tetrachlorofluoropropane | C3H3FCl4 |
| R-242 | Trichlorodifluoropropane | C3H3F2Cl3 |
| R-243 | Dichlorotrifluoropropane | C3H3F3Cl2 |
| R-244 | Chlorotetrafluoropropane | C3H3F4Cl |
| R-251 | Trichlorofluoropropane | C3H4FCl3 |
| R-252 | Dichlorodifluoropropane | C3H4F2Cl2 |
| R-253 | Chlorotrifluoropropane | C3H4F3Cl |
| R-261 | Dichlorofluoropropane | C3H5FCl2 |
| R-262 | Chlorodifluoropropane | C3H5F2Cl |
| R-271 | Chlorofluoropropane | C3H6FCl |
| R-401A | R-22/152a/124 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-401B | R-22/152a/124 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-401C | R-22/152a/124 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-402A | R-125/290/22 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-402B | R-125/290/22 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-403A | R-290/22/218 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-403B | R-290/22/218 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-405A | R-22/152a/142b/C318 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-406A | R-22/600a/142b Mixture | Mixture |
| R-406B | R-22/600a/142b Mixture | Mixture |
| R-408A | R-125/143a/22 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-409A | R-22/124/142b Mixture | Mixture |
| R-409B | R-22/124/142b Mixture | Mixture |
| R-412A | R-22/218/142b Mixture | Mixture |
| R-414A | R-22/124/600a/142b Mixture | Mixture |
| R-414B | R-22/124/600a/142b Mixture | Mixture |
| R-415A | R-22/152a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-415B | R-22/152a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-416A | R-134a/124/600 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-418A | R-290/22/152a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-420A | R-134a/142b Mixture | Mixture |
| R-500 | R-12/152a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-501 | R-22/12 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-502 | R-22/115 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-503 | R-23/13 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-504 | R-32/115 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-505 | R-12/31 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-506 | R-31/114 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-509[A] | R-22/218 Mixture | Mixture |
2. List Of HCFO Refrigerants
The list of HCFO freons is much shorter than the list of HCFC freons. The “O” in HCFO stands for “olefin”; this is a molecular structure where double carbon-carbon bonds (C=C). It contains only these 5 freons:
| HCFO Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-411A | R-1270/22/152a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-411B | R-1270/22/152a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-411C | R-1270/22/152a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-1224yd | (Z)-2,3,3,3,-Tetrafluoro-1-Chloropropene Mixture | Mixture |
| R-1233zd | 1-Chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene Mixture | Mixture |
3. List Of HFC Refrigerants
HFC refrigerants are very commonly used. The list of HFC freons includes R-32, R-404A, R-407A freon, and so on. HFC stands for HydroFluoroCarbons; this means that HFC refrigerants are comprised of hydrogen, fluorine, and carbon atoms. Here’s the full list:
| HFC Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-23 | Trifluoromethane | CHF3 |
| R-32 | Difluoromethane | CH2F2 |
| R-41 | Fluoromethane | CH3F |
| R-125 | Pentafluoroethane | C2HF5 |
| R-E125 | Pentafluorodimethyl ether | C2HF5O |
| R-134 | 1,1,2,2-Tetrafluoroethane | C2H2F4 |
| R-134a | 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane | C2H2F4 |
| R-E134 | Bis(difluoromethyl)ether | C2H2F4O |
| R-143 | 1,1,2-Trifluoroethane | C2H3F3 |
| R-143a | 1,1,1-Trifluoroethane | C2H3F3 |
| R-143m | Methyl trifluoromethyl ether | C2H3F3O |
| R-E143a | 2,2,2-Trifluoroethyl methyl ether | C3H5F3O |
| R-152 | 1,2-Difluoroethane | C2H4F2 |
| R-152a | 1,1-Difluoroethane | C2H4F2 |
| R-161 | Fluoroethane | C2H5F |
| R-272 | Difluoropropane | C3H6F2 |
| R-281 | Fluoropropane | C3H6F2 |
| R-404A | R-125/143a/134a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-407A | R-32/125/134a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-407B | R-32/125/134a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-407C | R-32/125/134a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-407D | R-32/125/134a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-407E | R-32/125/134a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-407F | R-32/125/134a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-410A | R-32/125 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-410B | R-1270/22/152a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-413A | R-218/134a/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-417A | R-125/134a/600 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-417B | R-125/134a/E170 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-419A | R-125/134a/E170 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-421A | R-125/134a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-421B | R-125/134a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-422A | R-125/134a/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-422B | R-125/134a/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-422C | R-125/134a/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-422D | R-125/134a/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-423A | R-134a/227ea Mixture | Mixture |
| R-424A | R-125/134a/600a/600/601a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-425A | R-32/134a/227ea Mixture | Mixture |
| R-426A | R-125/134a/600/601a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-427A | R-32/125/143a/134a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-428A | R-125/143a/290/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-429A | R-E170/152a/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-430A | R-152a/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-431A | R-290/152a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-434A | R-125/143a/134a/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-435A | R-E170/152a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-437A | R-125/134a/600/601 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-438A | R-32/125/134a/600/601a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-439A | R-32/125/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-440A | R-290/134a/152a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-448A | R-32/125/134a/1234ze/1234yf Mixture | Mixture |
| R-453A | R-32/125/134a/227ea/600/601a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-458A | R-32/125/134a/227ea/236fa Mixture | Mixture |
| R-507[A] | R-125/143a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-508[A] | R-23/116 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-508B | R-23/116 Mixture | Mixture |
4. List Of HFO Refrigerants
| HFO Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-449A | R-32/R-125/134a/1234yf Mixture | Mixture |
| R-452B | R-32/R-125/1234yf Mixture | Mixture |
| R-454A | R-32/1234yf Mixture | Mixture |
| R-454B | R-32/1234yf Mixture | Mixture |
| R-454C | R-32/1234yf Mixture | Mixture |
| R-455A | R-32/1234yf/744 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-456A | R-32/134a/1234ze(E) Mixture | Mixture |
| R-457A | R-32/152a/1234yf Mixture | Mixture |
| R-459A | R-32/1234yf(E)/1234ze(E) Mixture | Mixture |
| R-513A | R-1234yf/134a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-514A | R-1336mzz-Z/trans-1,2-Dichloroethene(t-DCE) Mixture | Mixture |
| R-515B | R-1234ze/227ea Mixture | Mixture |
| R-1132a | 1,1-Difluoroethylene | C2H2F2 |
| R-1141 | Fluoroethylene | C2H3F |
| R-1234yf | 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene | C3H2F4 |
| R-1234ze | 1,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene | C3H2F4 |
| HFO-1336mzz-E | trans-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene | C4H2F6 |
| HFO-1336mzz-Z (R1336mzz-Z) (DR-2) | cis-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene | CF3CH=CHCF3(Z) |
5. List Of HCC Refrigerants
HCC or HydroChloroCarbon refrigerants are comprised of hydrogen, chlorine, and carbon atoms (single bond, C-C). They usually have a very simple molecular structure. Here is the HCC freon list:
| HCC Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-20 | Chloroform | CHCl3 |
| R-30 | Dichloromethane | CH2Cl2 |
| R-40 | Chloromethane | CH3Cl |
| R-120 | Pentachloroethane | C2HCl5 |
| R-130 | 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane | C2H2Cl4 |
| R-130a | 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane | C2H2Cl4 |
| R-140 | 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | C2H3Cl3 |
| R-140a | 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | C2H3Cl3 |
| R-150 | 1,2-Dichloroethane | C2H4Cl2 |
| R-150a | 1,1-Dichloroethane | C2H4Cl2 |
| R-160 | Chloroethane | C2H5Cl |
6. List Of HCO Refrigerants
There are only 3 HCO refrigerants. They are comprised of hydrogen atoms, chlorine atoms, and olefins (double C=C bonds):
| HCO Refrigerants: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-1120 | Trichloroethylene | C2HCl3 |
| R-1130 | cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | C2H2Cl2 |
| R-1140 | Chloroethylene | C2H3Cl |
7. List Of HC Refrigerants
HC or HydroCarbon freons are primarily comprised of hydrogen and carbon atoms. In limited cases, we also have oxygen atoms (O) since HC refrigerants can be esters as well. Here is the HC freon list:
| HC Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-50 | Methane | CH4 |
| R-170 | Ethane | C2H6 |
| R-E170 | Dimethyl ether | CH3OCH3 |
| R-290 | Propane | C3H8 |
| R-436A | R-290/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-436B | R-290/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-441A | R-170/290/600a/600 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-510[A] | R-E170/600a Mixture | Mixture |
| R-511[A] | R-290/E170 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-600 | Butane | C4H10 |
| R-600a | Isobutane | C4H10 |
| R-601 | Pentane | C5H12 |
| R-601a | Isopentane | C5H12 |
| R-610 | Ethoxyethane | CH3CH2OCH2CH3 |
| R-611 | Methyl formate | HCOOCH3 |
8. List Of HO Refrigerants
We only have 6 HO or hydroolefin refrigerants, here is the list:
| HO Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-432A | R-1270/E170 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-433A | R-1270/290 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-433B | R-1270/290 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-433C | R-1270/290 Mixture | Mixture |
| R-1150 | Ethene | CH2=CH2 |
| R-1270 | Propene | C3H6 |
9. List Of CFC Refrigerants
We have quite a few CFC refrigerants. In addition to carbon atoms and olefins, CFCs also include chlorine and fluorine atoms. The notable exception are hydrogen atoms; namely, CFCs don’t include hydrogen atoms (H) in their molecular formula. Here is the CFC refrigerant list:
| CFC Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-11 | Trichlorofluoromethane | CCl3F |
| R-12 | Dichlorodifluoromethane | CCl2F2 |
| R-13 | Chlorotrifluoromethane | CClF3 |
| R-111 | Pentachlorofluoroethane | C2FCl5 |
| R-112 | 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloro-1,2-difluoroethane | C2F2Cl4 |
| R-113 | 1,1,2-Trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane | C2F3Cl3 |
| R-114 | 1,2-Dichlorotetrafluoroethane | C2F4Cl2 |
| R-115 | Chloropentafluoroethane | C2F5Cl |
| R-211 | 1,1,1,2,2,3,3-Heptachloro-3-fluoropropane | C3FCl7 |
| R-212 | Hexachlorodifluoropropane | C3F2Cl6 |
| R-213 | 1,1,1,3,3-Pentachloro-2,2,3-trifluoropropane | C3F3Cl5 |
| R-214 | 1,2,2,3-Tetrachloro-1,1,3,3-tetrafluoropropane | C3F4Cl4 |
| R-215 | 1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropane | C3F5Cl3 |
| R-216 | 1,2-Dichloro-1,1,2,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane | C3F6Cl2 |
| R-217 | 1-Chloro-1,1,2,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane | C3F7Cl |
| R-C316 | Dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane | C4Cl2F6 |
| R-C317 | Chloroheptafluorocyclobutane | C4ClF7 |
| R-400 | R-12/114 Mixture | Mixture |
| CFC | ChloroFluoroCarbons | Cl, F, C |
| CFC | ChloroFluoroCarbons | Cl, F, C |
10. List Of CFO Refrigerants
We only have two CFO refrigerants – R-1112a and R-1113. Here is their chemical name and molecular formula:
| CFO Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-1112a | 1,1-Dichloro-2,2-difluoroethylene | C2Cl2F2 |
| R-1113 | Chlorotrifluoroethylene | C2ClF3 |
11. List Of PFC Refrigerants
PFO or PerFluoroCarbons refrigerants only include carbon and fluorine atoms. They have the highest fluorine content. Here is the PFC list:
| PFC Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-14 | Tetrafluoromethane | CF4 |
| R-116 | Hexafluoroethane | C2F6 |
| R-218 | Octafluoropropane | C3F8 |
| R-C318 | Octafluorocyclobutane | C4F8 |
| R-3-1-10 | Decafluorobutane | C4F10 |
| R-4-1-12 | Dodecafluoropentane | C5F12 |
| R-5-1-14 | Tetradecafluorohexane | C6F14 |
12. List Of PFO Refrigerants
PFOs are basically the same as PFC refrigerants. The only difference is that we have some double carbon-carbon bonds (C=C) while PFCs only have single carbon-carbon bonds (C-C). Here is the list:
| PFO Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-1114 | Tetrafluoroethylene | C2F4 |
| R-1216 | Hexafluoropropylene | C3F6 |
| R-1218 | Hexafluoropropene trimer | (C3F6)3 |
13. List Of PCC Refrigerants
PCC refrigerants are comprised solemnly from carbon and clorine atoms. There are only 2 PCC freons on the market, here they are:
| PCC Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-10 | Carbon tetrachloride | CCl4 |
| R-110 | Hexachloroethane | C2Cl6 |
14. List Of PCO Refrigerants
PCO were freons that contained high chlorine content with double carbon-carbon bonds (C=C). None of them are in use today.
15. List Of H Refrigerants
H or Halon (Halogen) refrigerants are comprised of hydrogen and halogens (these at from the 7th column in the period system of elements; atoms such as chlorine, fluorine, and bromine). Only H refrigerants contain bromine atoms. Here is the list:
| H Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-12B1 | Bromochlorodifluoromethane | CBrClF2 |
| R-12B2 | Dibromodifluoromethane | CBr2F2 |
| R-13B1 | Bromotrifluoromethane | CBrF3 |
| R-22B1 | Bromodifluoromethane | CHBrF2 |
| R-114B2 | Dibromotetrafluoroethane | C2F4Br2 |
| R-132bB2 | 1,2-Dibromo-1,1-difluoroethane | C2H2Br2F2 |
| R-141B2 | 1,2-Dibromo-1-fluoroethane | C2H3Br2F |
16. List Of Natural Refrigerants
Natural refrigerants are a special refrigerant category. They are not based on the atoms the freon consists of; rather, they are substances that be found in nature by themselves. These include ammonia, water, neon, nitrogen, oxygen, and even air. Here is the full list of natural freons:
| Natural Refrigerant: | Chemical Name: | Molecular Formula: |
| R-630 | Methylamine | CH3NH2 |
| R-631 | Ethylamine | CH3CH2(NH2) |
| R-702 | Hydrogen | H2 |
| R-704 | Helium | He |
| R-717 | Ammonia | NH3 |
| R-718 | Water | H2O |
| R-720 | Neon | Ne |
| R-728 | Nitrogen | N2 |
| R-729 | Air | Mixture |
| R-732 | Oxygen | O2 |
| R-740 | Argon | Ar |
| R-744 | Carbon dioxide | CO2 |
| R-744A | Nitrous oxide | N2O |
| R-764 | Sulfur dioxide | SO2 |
| R-784 | Krypton | Kr |
This has been a categorical overview of the types of refrigerants and almost all freons from every category. Whenever you need to know what type of refrigerant you have (R-22, R-410A, R-134A, and so on), you can just look at these lists and simply check the freon type.