World's Leading Automotive Engineering Organization Says It Has High Level Of Confidence In Safety Of Honeywell's Low-global-warming Refrigerant

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J., Feb. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that SAE International, the world's leading automotive engineering association, has reiterated that it has a "high level of confidence" that Honeywell's new low-global-warming-potential mobile air conditioning refrigerant, HFO-1234yf, is safe for use in automobiles.

SAE International's Cooperative Research Project (CRP), which included technical experts from 11 global automakers, said in a press release Monday that "the high level of confidence" that SAE CRP has in the safety of the refrigerant "continues to grow."

The CRP said that the findings of its original evaluation of the refrigerant "remain well founded" and that the refrigerant "posed no greater risk than any other engine compartment fluids." The CRP also said that testing conducted by Daimler late last year that raised questions about safety was "unrealistic" and used "extremely idealized conditions … while ignoring actual collision scenarios."

"The SAE's latest evaluation, combined with years of other extensive testing, leaves no doubt that HFO-1234yf is safe for automotive applications," said Terrence Hahn, vice president and general manager for Honeywell Fluorine Products. "Automakers globally continue to adopt this new, effective solution to comply with new environmental regulation, including the European Union's Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC) Directive."

HFO-1234yf, a highly-efficient, safe and effective replacement for HFC-134a, is already in use by the auto industry. It reduces global warming impact by 99.7 percent over HFC-134a and, according to third-party data, its adoption in cars today would have the greenhouse gas equivalent impact of removing more than 4 million cars from European roads.

HFO-1234yf was the subject of comprehensive testing conducted by an SAE CRP from 2007 to 2009. That CRP, which was sponsored by 15 global automakers, including all leading German automakers, major suppliers and 18 international, independent research institutes, concluded that HFO-1234yf is safe for use in automobile applications.

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