The paper discusses the flame suppression and lubricant interaction of hydrocarbon (HC) mixtures for household refrigerator/freezers (R/Fs). The work focuses on blending the minimum amount of a fluoroiodocarbon (FIC) with previously optimized R/F-tested HC mixtures to reduce their flammability. Optimized HC mixtures were shown to be more energy efficient than CFC-12 operating in a conventional household R/F. After the flame suppression of the mixtures was established, the HC mixtures, along with the selected quantity of the FIC, were retested in the same R/F in which the HC mixtures were previously optimized. The mixtures were removed from the R/F and tested in a gas chromatograph (GC) to determine whether they have the same affinity to the lubricant as established in non-FIC tests; the affinity of HCs to the lubricant was established before adding the FIC (oil affinity work is also included in the paper). Further GC testing determined the FIC's affinity to the lubricant by observing the composition shift of the HCs and the FIC.

Paper presented at the 1994 International CFC and Halon Alternatives Conference, Washington, D.C., Oct. 24-26, 1994. Key words: pollution; hydrocarbons; freezers; refrigerators; fire resistance; lubricants; pollution control; stationary sources; refrigerator/freezers; flame suppression; fluoroiodocarbons. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 6) . Prepared by Acurex Environmental Corporation. Microfiche.