R-22, chemically chlorodifluoromethane CHClF2 and also called HCFC-22 or Freon-22, was used for many decades as a versatile refrigerant in a wide range of cooling applications. Its primary use was in residential and commercial air conditioning systems, including central split systems, window air conditioners, heat pumps, and packaged rooftop units, where it provided cooling for homes, offices, and stores from the 1950s until 2010s. It was also used in commercial refrigeration such as walk-in coolers, supermarket display cases, and food processing cold storage, and in industrial refrigeration for process cooling. In some countries, it was used in chillers for large buildings. Beyond cooling, R-22 was used as a blowing agent for producing foam insulation, as a solvent for cleaning, and as an intermediate in chemical manufacturing for producing fluoropolymers like Teflon. However, because R-22 contains chlorine and depletes ozone layer and has high global warming potential, its production and use in new equipment were banned in developed countries from 2020 under Montreal Protocol, and it is now only allowed as reclaimed refrigerant to service existing old systems, with industry moving to alternatives like R-410A, R-32, and R-454B.
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