Arkema On the Leading Edge

While consumers may not pay much attention to refrigerants, they are certainly top of mind in the HVACR industry. With new regulations that govern specific refrigerants being phased out in the United States and strict rules on their use in place in Europe, HVACR contractors, engineers, distributors and equipment manufacturers are keeping a close eye on the range of refrigerants to ensure that they invest in the right products that will meet government regulations, while performing at the highest standards for their customers.

Arkema Inc., a global producer and supplier of refrigerants for the HVACR industry, represents a world-class solution for HVACR distributors. That's "world-class" in every sense of the word. With manufacturing facilities around the globe, a comprehensive research and development division and a sales force that is committed to helping its customers understand the refrigerants for individual markets, Arkema stands above competitors when it comes to the production and distribution of these critical products. "Our core philosophy is to manufacture what we sell," says Mike Brubaker, Arkema's global director of sales and marketing.

Headquartered in France, Arkema runs its North American operations from Philadelphia, PA. It is a global chemical company with three business segments: vinyl products, performance products and industrial chemicals. Arkema is one of the world's largest producers of fluorochemicals — operating facilities in France, Spain, China and the United States — which the company sells under the Forane^® refrigerant trademark.

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, or HCFCs, are being phased out of air-conditioning equipment made after 2009 under provisions of the Montreal Protocol, an international environmental agreement, which is being enforced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The phaseout of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, occurred in 1996. As the HCFC phaseout continues, Arkema is at the forefront of bringing new alternatives to the marketplace that are more environmentally sustainable, thus ensuring that its HVACR distributors and their customers have access to replacement refrigerants in the short term.

Forane refrigerants are used wherever cooling or freezing applications are required, including appliances, automotive, construction, food processing, industrial refrigeration and supermarkets. Its products range from Forane 22, or R-22, for residential and commercial uses, to Forane 404A and Forane 507 for freezers, display cases and ice machines. "We supply all the different markets," Brubaker notes.

HCFC-22, also known as R-22, has been the refrigerant of choice for residential heat pump and air-conditioning systems for almost four decades. Arkema is providing more environmentally sustainable hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants to the marketplace while continuing its work in the development of low-global-warming potential, or low GWP, products.

Producing and supplying the products give Arkema an edge over its competition, says Brubaker. Not only does Arkema control what goes into its refrigerants, but the company is able to ensure that it will have products available to distributors when and where they are needed. It also helps Arkema remain cost-competitive. "Because we have multiple manufacturing sites, we typically don't run into supply problems like others who may be importing their products from Asia," he says. "Our supply chain is much shorter in getting products to the customer. We control our own destiny."

Brubaker notes that Arkema has redundant manufacturing for many of its products globally, ensuring there will be more than one source of any product at any given time. For HVACR distributors who get frantic calls from contractors whose customers have a broken down industrial freezer or HVACR unit, making sure that the right refrigerant is on hand is essential. "We hear it from distributors that when it comes to Arkema, our supply is never an issue," Brubaker says.

Having its own manufacturing facilities also ensures that its manufacturing processes and quality control are of the highest quality. Not all producers can guarantee this, he says. Brubaker adds that Arkema's plants are state-of-the-art facilities that adhere to strict safety regulations that go above and beyond the standards of the countries where they operate. It is complete management and control of its products, from production to delivery.

Customer service makes up an important part of the Arkema story. It extends from supplying the product to ensuring that distributors and their customers understand what each product does and how regulatory issues may affect what they can and cannot use. It begins with the technical service and marketing teams. They can translate the complicated issues of chemicals into real-world language for HVACR distributors and their customers.

Training takes place at trade shows and conferences, like the HARDI show, as well as at distributors' branch locations. "We'll be with the distributors, who typically bring in their customers, and we'll supply all of the information they need," Brubaker says. They make sure to walk distributors through new products. "We provide literature and guides and talk about the different applications. We try to get to the street level on how to use our products." Arkema stays close to its customers through quarterly newsletters and regular technical, industry and regulatory updates.