hydrochlorofluorocarbon
A technician checks the pressure gauge on a canister of hydrochlorofluorocarbon.
Noun: A hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) is a chemical compound used as a refrigerant and as a propellant in aerosol sprays. It is a type of fluorocarbon that contains hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine, and carbon. HCFCs were developed to replace chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) because they are less damaging to the Earth's ozone layer, though they still have some negative environmental impact.
Hydrochlorofluorocarbon is a technical term used primarily in scientific, industrial, and environmental contexts. It refers to a specific class of man-made chemicals. - It functions as a singular countable noun (e.g., a hydrochlorofluorocarbon, several hydrochlorofluorocarbons). - The plural form is hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
- The 1990 amendment to the Clean Air Act mandated a phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
- This cooling system uses an hydrochlorofluorocarbon known as HCFC-22.
- Scientists are researching alternatives that are even safer than hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
- Environmental Regulation: The term is frequently used in discussions about international treaties, such as the Montreal Protocol, which controls the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances.
- HCFC: The common abbreviation for hydrochlorofluorocarbon.
- Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC): The more ozone-destructive compound that HCFCs replaced.
- Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC): A later replacement for HCFCs, which contains no chlorine and does not deplete the ozone layer (though it is a potent greenhouse gas).
- Fluorocarbon: The broader chemical family to which HCFCs belong.
- HCFC (the standard abbreviation).
- Transitional substance (a term used in environmental policy, as HCFCs were a transitional replacement for CFCs).
While the core definition is chemical, the word's primary contemporary use relates to its environmental role. It is almost always discussed in the context of being a less harmful substitute for CFCs, but still a substance that requires eventual phase-out due to its ozone-depletion potential and global warming potential.
A technician checks the pressure gauge on a canister of hydrochlorofluorocarbon.
- a fluorocarbon that is replacing chlorofluorocarbon as a refrigerant and propellant in aerosol cans; considered to be somewhat less destructive to the atmosphere