Freon Alternative Discovered: Air Conditioners and Refrigerators Set to Become More Energy-Efficient
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Researchers have successfully developed an alternative method to lower room temperatures without relying on hazardous chemicals such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), commonly known as freon. Instead, the research utilizes salts as the main component of a cooling system.
As reported by IFL Science, quoted on Sunday (17/5/2026), conventional cooling technology essentially works by absorbing and dissipating heat from inside a room using a special liquid that conducts heat.
The liquid is then evaporated into a gas and circulated through a closed system before being condensed back into a liquid to repeat the cooling process.
This process is very effective, making it the standard technology for refrigerators, air conditioners (ACs), and water dispensers.
The problem is that the materials used pose dangers to the environment.
Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a new way to absorb and transfer thermal energy. The model they use utilizes how energy is stored and released when a material changes form, such as when ice turns into water.
When the room temperature rises, the ice will melt. At the same time, the melting ice absorbs heat from its surroundings, making the room cooler.
To find an alternative cooling process, researchers focused on finding a way to “melt ice” without raising the temperature. The method they discovered is by adding particles containing energy known as ions.
The melting process using these ion particles is exemplified when salt is used to prevent ice from forming on roads during winter in four-season countries. This cycle of change is called the ionocaloric cycle.
“There has been no successful alternative solution that creates cold efficiently, meets safety aspects, and does not have a negative impact on the environment. We think the ionocaloric cycle has potential,” said Drew Lilley from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The research team has tested salts made using iodine and sodium to melt ethylene carbonate. The liquid produced utilizes carbon dioxide and is also used in lithium-ion batteries. This means that the manufacturing process is not only zero emissions but negative emissions.
In the trial, the temperature changed by up to 25 degrees Celsius with only a “charge” of 1 volt.
Researchers are now creating a practical system that can be applied commercially. One of the developments is finding the most effective “salt” to draw heat from the space. In 2025, researchers found that the most efficient salt was nitrate-based salt.