15 Oct 2002
Honeywell and Samsung Electronics announce AZ-20® refrigerant supply agreement
Global air-conditioning industry continues to migrate to Honeywell’s patented R-410A refrigerant
Honeywell Fluorine Products, Europe announced that it has finalised a four-year agreement to support Samsung in the continued conversion of its air-conditioning equipment to AZ-20®, Honeywell’s patented replacement for ozone-depleting R-22 in new air conditioners. In addition to supplying refrigerant for charging and servicing equipment, Honeywell will provide support in system research and development, manufacturing plant conversion, and service-technician training.
According to SooChul Shim, Director of Research and Development for Air-Conditioning Products at Samsung’s plant in Suwon, Korea, “Honeywell's R&D support will be an important element of our continued product development efforts, and we expect to save development and commercialization time as a result of their experience."
A key reason cited for the selection of Honeywell for this effort was Honeywell’s experience in supporting the conversion of other major equipment manufacturers in Asia and North America, and the proprietary tools and services that Honeywell offered as a result.Additional reasons cited included Honeywell’s cost-effective supply position and Honeywell’s patents on the refrigerant that will allow Samsung to distribute air-conditioners charged with AZ-20® (R-410A) to customers and markets around the world.
According to Rich Preziotti, Vice President and General Manager of Fluorine Products at Honeywell, “The global phase-out of ozone-depleting refrigerants is continuing at an accelerated pace, and Honeywell is at the forefront of this trend by both developing new refrigerants solutions, and by investing in new manufacturing capacity to meet the needs of consumers and businesses.” James W. Bova, Asia Commercial Director for Fluorine Products added “Asia is both a growing market unto itself, and is a major source of air conditioning equipment for export to Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of the world. “We’re very excited that Samsung Electronics has selected AZ-20® as their refrigerant, and we are looking forward to working with them to help increase awareness of the environmental and technical benefits of this product.”
Honeywell (then known as AlliedSignal) developed and patented its AZ-20® refrigerant as a long-term alternative to ozone-depleting R-22 in the early 1990’s, and the chemical was later assigned the generic name R-410A by ASHRAE.
A non-ozone depleting refrigerant, AZ-20® offers thermodynamic properties that allow it to be more energy-efficient than most other replacement refrigerants.
Honeywell broke ground on an additional manufacturing facility in 2001 to support
the global conversion of air-conditioning manufacturers to non-ozone depleting refrigerants, and expects to commence production at this facility in Louisiana, United States, prior to the 2003 cooling season.
Samsung Electronics is one of the largest manufacturers of room air conditioners in the world with facilities in Korea and China, and is among the world’s leading brands of electronics and appliances worldwide.
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Notes for editors
Honeywell Fluorine Products is part of Honeywell’s Specialty Materials business. Specialty Materials, a $4 billion strategic business unit of Honeywell, is a world leader in the production of nylon, polyester, polyethylene, fluorocarbons, caprolactam and specialty and electronic materials. Based in Morristown, New Jersey, the business has approximately 12,500 employees and more than 75 manufacturing and sales facilities worldwide. The business serves diverse market segments including automotive, healthcare, agricultural, electronic and food packaging, polymers/plastics, personal care, air conditioning and refrigeration, security coding, lubricants, paper and packaging, semiconductor, industrial and consumer power tools, paints and coatings, commercial and residential carpet, as well as body and vehicle protection. Honeywell Fluorine Products pioneered the development of fluorocarbons used in environmentally safer refrigerants and foam blowing agents. For more information, visit www.enovate3000.com or www.honeywellrefrigerants.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements as defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements about future business operations, financial performance and market conditions. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties inherent in business forecasts as further described in our filings under the Securities Exchange Act.