What is the Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of refrigerant R22?

The Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of a refrigerant is a measure of its ability to contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer relative to a reference substance, commonly trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11), which is assigned an ODP of 1.0.

For refrigerant R22, its ODP is recognized as approximately 0.05. This indicates that while R22 does have some impact on ozone depletion, it is significantly lower compared to substances with higher ODP values. The low ODP of R22 is part of what makes it a somewhat less harmful choice compared to other refrigerants, particularly the older generation CFCs which have much higher ODP values.

Understanding ODP is crucial for compliance with environmental regulations aimed at protecting the ozone layer, as it helps guide the selection of refrigerants that minimize environmental impact while still meeting the necessary performance standards in refrigeration and air conditioning systems.