refrigerant (adj)

any substance used to provide cooling (as in a refrigerator)

refrigerant, refrigerating (adj)

causing cooling or freezing

"a refrigerant substance such as ice or solid carbon dioxide"

refrigerant (Noun)

A substance used in a heat cycle that undergoes a phase change between gas and liquid to allow the cooling, as in refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.

refrigerant (Noun)

That which makes cool or cold, such as a medicine for allaying the symptoms of fever.

refrigerant (Adjective)

That cools or freezes

Refrigerant

A refrigerant is a substance used in a heat cycle usually including, for enhanced efficiency, a reversible phase transition from a liquid to a gas. Traditionally, fluorocarbons, especially chlorofluorocarbons, were used as refrigerants, but they are being phased out because of their ozone depletion effects. Other common refrigerants used in various applications are ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and non-halogenated hydrocarbons such as propane. Many refrigerants are important ozone depleting and global warming inducing compounds that are the focus of worldwide regulatory scrutiny.

Refrigerant

A refrigerant is a working fluid used in the refrigeration cycle of air conditioning systems and heat pumps where in most cases they undergo a repeated phase transition from a liquid to a gas and back again. Refrigerants are heavily regulated due to their toxicity, flammability and the contribution of CFC and HCFC refrigerants to ozone depletion and that of HFC refrigerants to climate change. Refrigerants are used in a Direct Expansion (DX) system to transfer energy from one environment to another, typically from inside a building to outside (or vice versa) commonly known as an "air conditioner" or "heat pump". Refrigerants can carry per kg 10 times more energy than water and 50 times more than air. Refrigerants are controlled substances due to 1) High Pressures (100-145 psi), 2) Extreme temperatures (-50°C to 145°C), 3) Flammability A1 class non-flammable, A2/A2L class flammable & A3 class extremely flammable/explosive and 4) Toxicity B1-low, B2-medium & B3-high, as classified by ISO 817 & ASHRAE 34. Refrigerants must only be handled by qualified/certified engineers to the relevant classes of refrigerant eg in the UK C&G 2079 if A1 class PLUS C&G 6187-2 if A2/A2L & A3 class refrigerants.