The National Science Foundation awarded a $249,551 Project Grant to the University of Kansas Center for Research Inc. under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships federal grant program (CFDA 47.084). The grant funds the development of a pilot-scale process using extractive distillation and an ionic liquid entrainer to separate the azeotropic refrigerant mixture R-410A into its pure component gases. R-410A, composed of 50% difluoromethane and 50% pentafluoroethane, is a widely used refrigerant that cannot currently be separated via conventional fractional distillation. The project aims to achieve a purity of 99.5% or higher for the separated components and create a process simulation model representing experimental results. Testing will also be conducted on actual reclaimed refrigerant from industry to understand the effects of impurities. Results will inform a financial model to estimate costs for separating azeotropic refrigerants. The research supports the sustainable management and reuse of existing stocks of ozone-depleting and high global warming potential refrigerants.
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