Refrigerant Dryers Explained: Moisture Control & Environmental Benefits

Refrigerant dryers are used to remove moisture from air by reducing the temperature. When compressed air is cooled, its capacity to hold water in the vapor phase reduces. This means that some of the water vapor condenses into droplets. The lower the temperature of the air, the greater the amount of water is condensed. Unlike water vapor, condensed water is easy to separate from compressed air.

Refrigerant dryers use a cooling agent (also called a refrigerant) to reduce the temperature of compressed air. The refrigerant circuit inside the dryer has to be powerful enough to maintain performance in hot conditions. There are many types of refrigerants, but not all are created equal. Historically, some refrigerants used in these dryers posed two significant threats to the environment: ozone depletion and global warming.

Ozone depletion

Ozone is a reactive form of oxygen that is formed by the constant collision of oxygen molecules (O₂) and oxygen atoms. The ozone (O₃) layer exists in the stratosphere, a portion of the atmosphere 10 to 50 kilometers above Earth’s surface. The stratosphere is composed of 90 percent ozone and acts as a filter against UV rays, which can cause skin cancer and cataracts.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are known for damaging and depleting the ozone layer. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are similar compounds that produce similar effects when release into the atmosphere. R22 is a type of HCFC refrigerant that used to be common in many refrigerant dryers.

Global warming

Science has found that much of global warming is due to greenhous effect. Greenhouse gases includes carbon dioxide, methane and also some refrigerants. These gases build up in the atmosphere and trap heat. HFCs represent 3% of greenhouse gas emission, but reducing volume of refrigerant and engineering an energy efficient dryer also contributes to reducing the overall CO₂ emission of energy plant.

Non-depleting refrigerants

Today, CRCs are banned and HCFCs are in phase-out; they are not allowed in new equipment made after 2010.

After 2010, regulations restricted the use of R22 dryers to recycled dryers only. Since 2015, all R22 is banned in the United States. New hydrofluorocarbons have been introduced to the market as an alternative that have refrigerant properties and zero ozone depletion effects. R134a, R410a and R407c are common types of hydrofluorocarbons that offer an alternative to R22.

Thankfully, there are many options today that offer comparable performance as previous refrigerants without some of the more dangerous side effects. Our FX and FD series of refrigerant dryers use environmentally conscious products to dry your compressed air. Did you have to phase out an R22 dryer? What alternativve solution did you choose? Let us know in the comments below.