WT69 is the result of a multi-year development process by Weiss Technik in collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden. It will be produced and distributed independently by Technische Gase und Gastechnik GmbH TEGA. This enables safe and professional handling of the new product from production and filling to distribution and transportation. It will be freely available on the market and can also be used in other systems if required.

Chemical basics

During the development of WT69, it was first investigated whether a naturally occurring pure substance could be considered as an alternative to R23 for the air conditioning requirements. As this was not the case, it was examined which combination of_CO2 with the advantages of hydrocarbons would meet the requirements. The mixture sought had to reach very low temperatures, but also be chemically and thermally stable at temperatures of more than 180 °C. In this context, the parameters of freezing temperature, flammability and vapour pressure curve had to be optimized so that WT69 is not flammable or explosive over the entire temperature range and can be operated with the same system pressure of the existing systems. According to the company, these properties were confirmed over three years in more than 100,000 hours of testing in 20 system configurations.

Properties at a glance

WT69 has a GWP that is more than 90 percent lower than R23 (1,357). It is independently certified and meets all requirements for a future-proof refrigerant for applications down to -70 °C. All test profiles can continue to be used and the results remain comparable. As a normal synthetic refrigerant, no safety considerations, separate cooling or increased refrigerant quantity are necessary. WT69 is reliably available and has no ozone-depleting effect. It is non-toxic (safety data sheet approved), non-flammable (A1/A1 approved by ASHRAE), non-corrosive and chemically stable.

Background on refrigerant regulation

The refrigerant regulation for fluorinated greenhouse gases significantly tightens the requirements for manufacturers of systems with HFC refrigerants and means new requirements for operators of existing systems with regard to their testing and documentation obligations. In addition, R23 will become even scarcer and more expensive due to the quota system. Weiss Technik therefore began developing its own refrigerant for systems in the deep-freeze sector at an early stage.