Fluoroalcanes

Fluoroalkanes are a family of chemicals that have been widely used since the 1930s in many areas of everyday life: refrigerants in refrigerating machines and air conditioners, expanding agents for insulating foams, cleaning solvents, aerosol propellants, fire extinguishing agents, to name but a few of the main applications. Marketed products belonging to this family have evolved considerably since the 1990s, as a result of new environmental regulations: the ozone-depleting potential (ODP) of certain non-hydrogenated fluoroalkanes led to their virtual disappearance during the 1990s, while some of their substitutes proved to have a significant greenhouse effect (GWP), prompting the development of replacement products. This article traces the evolution of this important chemical family and illustrates the main means of production and major applications of the products that make it up.