The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), America Group, announced today that Barbara Haviland Minor, Corporate Fellow at The Chemours Company (Chemours), has won the 2018 SCI Perkin Medal. This honor recognizes her contributions in the research and development of new refrigerants, known as Opteon refrigerants, to address concerns related to ozone depletion and global warming potential (GWP).
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"The work Barbara has done in the world of refrigerants has resulted in innovative solutions that have a larger positive impact on people's lives, all with a smaller environmental footprint," said Craig A. Rogerson, Chairman, President and CEO of Hexion Inc. and Chair of SCI America. "The SCI is pleased to award Barbara's remarkable success in the industry, her contributions to science, and her commitment to a more sustainable planet.
Most recently, Minor developed several new low GWP refrigerants based on HFO technology for supermarket, transport and self-contained refrigeration and large building air conditioning. Opteon XP40 was designed for retrofit and new supermarket refrigeration systems to replace R-404A. Thousands of supermarkets globally have already been converted to XP40 since 2013, providing a significant, positive environmental impact. Other refrigerants in commercial use today include XP44 for refrigerated trucks and trailers, XP10 and XP30 for large building chillers, and recently commercialized XL20 and XL40 for condensing units, ice machines, and reach-in coolers and freezers.
"Barbara's innovative contributions to science and technology matched with her deep understanding of customer and market needs have been central to the success of many new refrigerants," stated Chemours CEO Mark Vergnano. "We are so proud that she has received this richly-deserved recognition for her many contributions to Chemours, the environment, and society as a whole.
Minor will receive the medal at a dinner in her honor on September 25, 2018 at the Hyatt at the Bellevue in Philadelphia.
