R-12 belongs to which family of refrigerants?
Environmental impacts · EPA 608 Core. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
How CFCs and HCFCs destroy stratospheric ozone, and what that does to health and the environment.
The question
R-12 belongs to which family of refrigerants?
- CFCCorrect answer
- HFC
- HCFC
- HFO
Why “CFC” is correct
R-12 is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC): it contains chlorine, fluorine and carbon and no hydrogen. CFCs such as R-11 and R-12 have the highest ozone depletion potential of the common refrigerants.
Source: EPA: Test Topics
Why the other answers are wrong
- HFC — HFCs such as R-134a replaced R-12; they contain no chlorine.
- HCFC — R-22 is the classic HCFC; R-12 has no hydrogen in it.
- HFO — HFOs are newer low-GWP substitutes, not the older refrigerant R-12.
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