Refrigerant (Freon) Boiling Points
The temperature each refrigerant, including the old Freon grades like R-12 and R-22, boils at in open air (0 psig, 1 atm), in °F or °C. Blends show liquid (bubble) and vapor (dew).
How to use ↓At sea level, 0 psig = 14.7 psia = 101.325 kPa absolute. Single refrigerants have one value.
| Refrigerant | Liquid bubble, °F°C | Vapor dew, °F°C |
|---|---|---|
| R-410A | −60.6−51.4 | −60.5−51.4 |
| R-22 | −41.5−40.8 | |
| R-32 | −61.0−51.7 | |
| R-454B | −58.9−50.5 | −57.1−49.5 |
| R-290 | −43.8−42.1 | |
| R-600a | 10.9−11.7 | |
| R-134a | −14.9−26.1 | |
| R-12 | −21.6−29.8 | |
| R-404A | −51.2−46.2 | −49.8−45.5 |
| R-448A | −51.0−46.1 | −39.9−40.0 |
| R-452A | −52.5−46.9 | −45.7−43.2 |
| R-449A | −50.3−45.7 | −40.0−40.0 |
| R-407C | −46.5−43.6 | −33.9−36.6 |
| R-407A | −49.0−45.0 | −37.5−38.6 |
| R-507A | −52.1−46.7 | −52.1−46.7 |
| R-513A | −21.3−29.6 | −21.1−29.5 |
| R-422D | −45.8−43.2 | −37.0−38.3 |
| R-1234yf | −21.0−29.5 | |
| R-744 | No liquid at 1 atm. Dry ice sublimes at −109.2−78.5 °F°C | |
| R-717 | −28.0−33.3 | |
R-744 (CO₂) has no boiling point at 1 atm: dry ice turns straight to vapor at −78.5 °C (−109.2 °F). Liquid CO₂ only exists above its triple point, −56.6 °C (−69.8 °F) at 5.18 bar absolute (about 60.4 psig).
Blend values are calculated from the equation of state, so they can differ from a maker’s datasheet by a few tenths of a degree. Chemours publishes these bubble points: R-410A −51.53 °C (−60.76 °F), R-404A −46.45 °C (−51.62 °F), R-407C −43.56 °C (−46.40 °F).
How to use
- Find the refrigerant.
- Below this temperature, the refrigerant sits in a vacuum at saturation; above it, it is under pressure.
- For blends, the liquid (bubble) value is where a leak starts to boil off; the vapor (dew) value is where the last liquid is gone.
About refrigerant boiling points
The normal boiling point is the saturation temperature at one standard atmosphere. R-410A boils at about −60.6 °F (−51.4 °C) and R-22 at about −41.5 °F (−40.8 °C). It is why a system at 0 psig on the low side is far colder than the room, and why liquid refrigerant on skin causes frostbite.
“Freon” is a Chemours brand name, but most people use it for any refrigerant. If you mean the old R-12 in cars and fridges, it boils at about −21.6 °F (−29.8 °C). R-22, the old home A/C Freon, boils at about −41.5 °F (−40.8 °C).
Sources: single refrigerants (R-12, R-22, R-32, R-134a, R-290, R-600a, R-717) checked against the NIST Chemistry WebBook fluid tables; R-1234yf against the Chemours Opteon YF datasheet; R-410A, R-404A and R-407C against Chemours datasheets (410A, 404A, 407C); other blends against Hudson Technologies datasheets; CO₂ triple point from the NIST WebBook. Reference only: always verify with the manufacturer’s data.
FAQ
What is the boiling point of Freon?
It depends which refrigerant you mean. At sea level R-12 boils at about −21.6 °F (−29.8 °C), R-22 at about −41.5 °F (−40.8 °C), R-134a at about −14.9 °F (−26.1 °C) and R-410A at about −60.6 °F (−51.4 °C).
Why do blends have two boiling points?
A blend boils over a range. The liquid (bubble) value is where it starts to boil and the vapor (dew) value is where the last liquid is gone. The gap is called glide.
Does CO₂ (R-744) boil?
Not at normal air pressure. It goes straight from solid to vapor at −109.2 °F (−78.5 °C). It needs at least about 75 psia to exist as a liquid.