Atmospheric Fate and Emissions of Hydrofluoroether-356pcf3 in Indian Scenario

In recent decades, hydrofluoroethers (HFEs) have been developed as fourth generation synthetic refrigerant alternatives for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), most of which are climate forcing agents. Most of the HFEs are recently developed, and their atmospheric impacts are overlooked in the literature. In the present study, the atmospheric fate of HFE-356pcf3 which has a moderate global warming potential (GWP) of 532 has been studied using quantum chemical calculations. The emissions of HFE-356pcf3 from the domestic and residential sectors of India are estimated for a period of 2020–2050 and compared with those of HFC emissions using a bottom-up approach. The atmospheric fate is determined through the OH radical initiated oxidation reactions of HFE-356pcf3 and the associated secondary oxidation processes. The results reveal that carbonyl fluoride is formed as a major product from the atmospheric sink of HFE-356pcf3, which is a toxic compound. The lifetime of HFE-356pcf3 is estimated to be ∼1 year in the troposphere and around 12–5 years in the stratosphere. The estimated emissions demonstrate that the emissions are much higher in the operational and disposal stages than in the installation stage during the entire lifecycle of HFE-356pcf3. The emissions from the reference compound HFC-134a are three times higher than that of HFE-356pcf3. A correlation analysis between the emissions and fate suggests that the OH radical scavenging process and the relevant secondary oxidation processes reported in the present work are important in determining the atmospheric HFE-356pcf3 concentration. Thus, in addition to GWP, the atmospheric oxidation potential of the refrigerant gases is an important metric in evaluating their atmospheric and climate impacts.