Fluorinated ethers: A new series of CFC substitutes. Rept. for Aug 88-Oct 91

The paper discusses fluorinated ethers, a new series of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) substitutes. Compounds synthesized to produce substances with suitable refrigerant properties have generally left out sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen. The general result is that all currently proposed substitutes for CFC and halon replacements have been alkanes. Because of the limited number of compounds of these elements having suitable properties and the current decision to phase out CFCs and (eventually) hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), restricting the search to alkanes only is no longer tenable. Consideration of fluorinated ethers effectively doubles the potential list of contenders. The fact that divalent oxygen in a fluorocarbon chain has only a modest effect on vapor pressure, compared to the alkane of similar carbon number and substitution, should be a strong incentive to investigate these compounds. Several new fluorinated compounds have been synthesized and characterized. Additionally, several compounds for which data were not available were synthesized. These compounds, both new and two 'revisited' ones, could function as replacement working fluids in many applications requiring similar properties. Without chlorine, all have zero ozone depletion potential