CFC (chlorofluorocarbon)
An early family of refrigerants containing chlorine, fluorine, and carbon, with severe ozone depletion effects.
Chlorofluorocarbons are a family of synthetic compounds built from chlorine, fluorine, and carbon. They made superb refrigerants: stable, nonflammable, low in toxicity, and well matched to the temperatures and pressures refrigeration equipment needs. For decades they were the default working fluids in refrigerators, chillers, and air conditioning systems, and their trade names became, for a generation of technicians, almost synonymous with the word refrigerant itself.
The stability that made CFCs attractive is exactly what makes them destructive. Released CFC molecules survive long enough to drift into the stratosphere, where intense ultraviolet light breaks them apart and frees their chlorine. That chlorine catalytically destroys ozone molecules, thinning the layer that shields the surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation. This discovery drove international agreement to end CFC production and shaped the refrigerant rules technicians work under today.
For a Section 608 candidate, CFCs matter in two ways. Historically, they explain why the regulatory program exists at all: the venting prohibition and recovery requirements grew out of the ozone crisis these compounds caused. Practically, CFC refrigerants still exist inside old equipment, so a technician can encounter them in service and disposal work, and every handling obligation applies fully to these legacy charges.
Related terms
| Ozone depletion | The destruction of stratospheric ozone by chlorine bearing chemicals, and the original reason refrigerant venting is prohibited. |
| HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) | A transitional refrigerant family that added hydrogen to reduce, but not eliminate, ozone depletion. |
| Refrigerant | The working fluid that absorbs and releases heat as it cycles between liquid and vapor inside a refrigeration system. |
The 608 fact sheet
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