AMMONIA
Ammonia is amongst the oldest of all the refrigerants and still used widely in the refrigeration applications. It is also the only refrigerant outside the halocarbons group, still being used to a great extent. Ammonia refrigerant is commonly known as R717 and its chemical formula is NH3. Its molecular weight is 17 and boiling point is -28-degree F (-2.22-degree C).
Ammonia has highest refrigerating capacity per pound of any refrigerant and a number of other excellent thermal properties that make it popular for a number of refrigeration applications in spite of its being toxic, explosive and flammable within certain conditions. Ammonia is used as refrigerant prominently in the refrigeration systems of food industry like dairies, ice creams plants, frozen food production plants, cold storage warehouses, processors of fish, poultry and meat and number of other applications.
Features:
- Small piston or screw displacement
- Compressor used with ammonia refrigerant
- Condensers used with ammonia refrigerant
- Chillers used with ammonia refrigerant
- Environment friendly
- Materials used in the refrigeration system
- High discharge temperature of ammonia gas
- Corrosive nature of ammonia
- Miscibility with oil
- Leak testing of ammonia
- Ammonia is cheap and available readily
