RefrigerantASHRAE R-123

R123 PT Chart

Q: What is R-123 used for?

Centrifugal chillers — Chemours describes it as a replacement for CFC-11.

Q: Why was R-123 phased out?

Ozone-depletion potential. Its ODP is 0.02 (Montreal Protocol value); HCFCs came under Montreal Protocol control with the 1992 Copenhagen Amendment. US implementation through 40 CFR Part 82 Subpart A: since 2015 R-123 is produced or imported only for equipment made before January 1, 2020, with no production or import from January 1, 2030.

Q: What's R-123's GWP and ODP?

GWP 77 (IPCC AR4) and ODP 0.02 (Montreal Protocol).

Q: Is R-123 still legal?

Since 2015 US production and import has been allowed only as refrigerant for equipment made before January 1, 2020, ending entirely January 1, 2030.

Q: Why is R-123 B1 (higher toxicity) instead of A1?

Its workplace environmental exposure limit (WEEL) is 50 ppm as an 8- and 12-hour average, set by OARS; ASHRAE puts refrigerants with exposure limits below 400 ppm in toxicity class B.

Q: What lubricant does R-123 use?

Chemours reports that lubricants used with CFC-11 perform satisfactorily with R-123.

Q: Can I retrofit an R-123 chiller to R-1233zd(E)?

EPA's SNAP program lists R-1233zd(E) as acceptable for new chillers.

Updated October 12, 2026

R-123

B1 Higher toxicity, no flame propagationHCFC ODS — HCFC Since 2015: production/import only as refrigerant for equipment made before 2020 · ends January 1, 2030

Illustration of a refrigerant cylinder painted light green gray (RAL 7044), the color AHRI Guideline N-2017 calls for on all new refrigerant containers from 2020^{[12], section 4.8}. Label: R-123, safety class B1, GWP 77. No red band: AHRI Guideline N-2017 reserves it for flammable refrigerants^{[12], section 4.7}.

CHCl2CF3

HCFC-123 (2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane)^[4], safety group B1^[2], GWP 77 (IPCC AR4) and ODP 0.02^[5]. A low-pressure refrigerant for centrifugal chillers, used as a replacement for CFC-11^[6]. Since 2015, US production and import of R-123 has been allowed only for use as a refrigerant in equipment manufactured before January 1, 2020; it ends on January 1, 2030^[7].

R-123 saturation pressure is 18.2 in. Hg vacuum at 40°F, 6.6 in. Hg vacuum at 70°F, and 6.1 PSIG at 100°F. These are the gauge readings on a static, fully-saturated system; a running system's high side sits well above them. The full table below runs from −40°F to 150°F in 1°F steps.

Checked against the Opteon™ XP30 and Freon™ 123 Pressure-Temperature Data (Eng), C-10867 (6/16): Freon™ 123 column^[1] at 119 points from 32°F to 150°F: largest difference 0.005 psi.

Saturation @ 70°F

6.6 in. Hg vac.

GWP (100-yr)

77 IPCC AR4

Boiling point

82.1°F

Sourced facts

ASHRAE safety class: B1^[2]
Chemical formula: CHCl₂CF₃^[2]
ODP: 0.02^[5]
GWP (100-yr): 77^{[13], Table 2.14}
Normal boiling point: 82.1°F (27.8°C)^[3]
US production and import: Ends January 1, 2030^[7]
Lubricant: Mineral oil or alkylbenzene^{[6], Table 8}
New-chiller alternatives (SNAP): e.g. R-1233zd(E), R-1234ze(E), R-1336mzz(Z), R-450A, R-513A, R-514A^{[8], Planning for the Future Is Important}

R-123 PT calculator Superheat

R-123 PT chart — printable saturation table

Looking for the R-123 PT chart PDF for shop reference? The complete pressure-temperature saturation table is below: every 1° increment from −40°F to 150°F (or to the refrigerant's critical temperature). Use the Print / Save as PDF button in the table header to download a clean, table-only PDF (the rest of the page is hidden from the print output).

R-123 PT Chart — Pressure-Temperature Saturation Table

Computed with CoolProp 7.2.0 in 1°F steps · hvacptcharts.com

R-123 · 1° increments · °F / PSIG

Tinted rows: NBP atmospheric crossover · 32°F H₂O freeze

R-123 pressure-temperature saturation table in Fahrenheit and PSIG
Temp (°F)	Pressure (PSIG)
−40°F	28.9 in. Hg vac.
−39°F	28.8 in. Hg vac.
−38°F	28.8 in. Hg vac.
−37°F	28.7 in. Hg vac.
−36°F	28.7 in. Hg vac.
−35°F	28.7 in. Hg vac.
−34°F	28.6 in. Hg vac.
−33°F	28.6 in. Hg vac.
−32°F	28.5 in. Hg vac.
−31°F	28.5 in. Hg vac.
−30°F	28.4 in. Hg vac.
−29°F	28.4 in. Hg vac.
−28°F	28.3 in. Hg vac.
−27°F	28.2 in. Hg vac.
−26°F	28.2 in. Hg vac.
−25°F	28.1 in. Hg vac.
−24°F	28.1 in. Hg vac.
−23°F	28.0 in. Hg vac.
−22°F	27.9 in. Hg vac.
−21°F	27.9 in. Hg vac.
−20°F	27.8 in. Hg vac.
−19°F	27.7 in. Hg vac.
−18°F	27.6 in. Hg vac.
−17°F	27.6 in. Hg vac.
−16°F	27.5 in. Hg vac.
−15°F	27.4 in. Hg vac.
−14°F	27.3 in. Hg vac.
−13°F	27.2 in. Hg vac.
−12°F	27.2 in. Hg vac.
−11°F	27.1 in. Hg vac.
−10°F	27.0 in. Hg vac.
−9°F	26.9 in. Hg vac.
−8°F	26.8 in. Hg vac.
−7°F	26.7 in. Hg vac.
−6°F	26.6 in. Hg vac.
−5°F	26.5 in. Hg vac.
−4°F	26.4 in. Hg vac.
−3°F	26.3 in. Hg vac.
−2°F	26.2 in. Hg vac.
−1°F	26.0 in. Hg vac.
0°F	25.9 in. Hg vac.
1°F	25.8 in. Hg vac.
2°F	25.7 in. Hg vac.
3°F	25.6 in. Hg vac.
4°F	25.4 in. Hg vac.
5°F	25.3 in. Hg vac.
6°F	25.2 in. Hg vac.
7°F	25.0 in. Hg vac.
8°F	24.9 in. Hg vac.
9°F	24.7 in. Hg vac.
10°F	24.6 in. Hg vac.
11°F	24.4 in. Hg vac.
12°F	24.3 in. Hg vac.
13°F	24.1 in. Hg vac.
14°F	23.9 in. Hg vac.
15°F	23.8 in. Hg vac.
16°F	23.6 in. Hg vac.
17°F	23.4 in. Hg vac.
18°F	23.2 in. Hg vac.
19°F	23.1 in. Hg vac.
20°F	22.9 in. Hg vac.
21°F	22.7 in. Hg vac.
22°F	22.5 in. Hg vac.
23°F	22.3 in. Hg vac.
24°F	22.1 in. Hg vac.
25°F	21.9 in. Hg vac.
26°F	21.7 in. Hg vac.
27°F	21.4 in. Hg vac.
28°F	21.2 in. Hg vac.
29°F	21.0 in. Hg vac.
30°F	20.8 in. Hg vac.
31°F	20.5 in. Hg vac.
32°F H₂O freeze	20.3 in. Hg vac.
33°F	20.0 in. Hg vac.
34°F	19.8 in. Hg vac.
35°F	19.5 in. Hg vac.
36°F	19.3 in. Hg vac.
37°F	19.0 in. Hg vac.
38°F	18.7 in. Hg vac.
39°F	18.4 in. Hg vac.
40°F	18.2 in. Hg vac.
41°F	17.9 in. Hg vac.
42°F	17.6 in. Hg vac.
43°F	17.3 in. Hg vac.
44°F	17.0 in. Hg vac.
45°F	16.6 in. Hg vac.
46°F	16.3 in. Hg vac.
47°F	16.0 in. Hg vac.
48°F	15.7 in. Hg vac.
49°F	15.3 in. Hg vac.
50°F	15.0 in. Hg vac.
51°F	14.6 in. Hg vac.
52°F	14.3 in. Hg vac.
53°F	13.9 in. Hg vac.
54°F	13.5 in. Hg vac.
55°F	13.2 in. Hg vac.
56°F	12.8 in. Hg vac.
57°F	12.4 in. Hg vac.
58°F	12.0 in. Hg vac.
59°F	11.6 in. Hg vac.
60°F	11.2 in. Hg vac.
61°F	10.8 in. Hg vac.
62°F	10.3 in. Hg vac.
63°F	9.9 in. Hg vac.
64°F	9.4 in. Hg vac.
65°F	9.0 in. Hg vac.
66°F	8.5 in. Hg vac.
67°F	8.1 in. Hg vac.
68°F	7.6 in. Hg vac.
69°F	7.1 in. Hg vac.
70°F	6.6 in. Hg vac.
71°F	6.1 in. Hg vac.
72°F	5.6 in. Hg vac.
73°F	5.1 in. Hg vac.
74°F	4.6 in. Hg vac.
75°F	4.0 in. Hg vac.
76°F	3.5 in. Hg vac.
77°F	2.9 in. Hg vac.
78°F	2.4 in. Hg vac.
79°F	1.8 in. Hg vac.
80°F	1.2 in. Hg vac.
81°F	0.6 in. Hg vac.
82°F NBP (atmospheric)	0.0 in. Hg vac.
83°F	0.3
84°F	0.6
85°F	0.9
86°F	1.2
87°F	1.5
88°F	1.8
89°F	2.2
90°F	2.5
91°F	2.8
92°F	3.2
93°F	3.5
94°F	3.9
95°F	4.2
96°F	4.6
97°F	5.0
98°F	5.3
99°F	5.7
100°F	6.1
101°F	6.5
102°F	6.9
103°F	7.3
104°F	7.7
105°F	8.1
106°F	8.5
107°F	9.0
108°F	9.4
109°F	9.8
110°F	10.3
111°F	10.7
112°F	11.2
113°F	11.7
114°F	12.1
115°F	12.6
116°F	13.1
117°F	13.6
118°F	14.1
119°F	14.6
120°F	15.1
121°F	15.6
122°F	16.1
123°F	16.6
124°F	17.2
125°F	17.7
126°F	18.3
127°F	18.8
128°F	19.4
129°F	20.0
130°F	20.6
131°F	21.1
132°F	21.7
133°F	22.3
134°F	22.9
135°F	23.6
136°F	24.2
137°F	24.8
138°F	25.5
139°F	26.1
140°F	26.8
141°F	27.4
142°F	28.1
143°F	28.8
144°F	29.5
145°F	30.2
146°F	30.9
147°F	31.6
148°F	32.3
149°F	33.0
150°F	33.8

R-123 pressure-temperature saturation table in Celsius and kPa
Temp (°C)	Pressure (kPa)
−40°C	−98
−39°C	−98
−38°C	−97
−37°C	−97
−36°C	−97
−35°C	−96
−34°C	−96
−33°C	−96
−32°C	−95
−31°C	−95
−30°C	−95
−29°C	−94
−28°C	−94
−27°C	−93
−26°C	−93
−25°C	−92
−24°C	−92
−23°C	−91
−22°C	−91
−21°C	−90
−20°C	−89
−19°C	−89
−18°C	−88
−17°C	−87
−16°C	−86
−15°C	−86
−14°C	−85
−13°C	−84
−12°C	−83
−11°C	−82
−10°C	−81
−9°C	−80
−8°C	−79
−7°C	−78
−6°C	−77
−5°C	−75
−4°C	−74
−3°C	−73
−2°C	−72
−1°C	−70
0°C H₂O freeze	−69
1°C	−67
2°C	−66
3°C	−64
4°C	−62
5°C	−61
6°C	−59
7°C	−57
8°C	−55
9°C	−53
10°C	−51
11°C	−49
12°C	−46
13°C	−44
14°C	−42
15°C	−39
16°C	−37
17°C	−34
18°C	−31
19°C	−29
20°C	−26
21°C	−23
22°C	−20
23°C	−17
24°C	−13
25°C	−10
26°C	−7
27°C	−3
28°C NBP (atmospheric)	1
29°C	4
30°C	8
31°C	12
32°C	16
33°C	20
34°C	25
35°C	29
36°C	34
37°C	38
38°C	43
39°C	48
40°C	53
41°C	58
42°C	64
43°C	69
44°C	75
45°C	80
46°C	86
47°C	92
48°C	98
49°C	105
50°C	111
51°C	118
52°C	125
53°C	131
54°C	139
55°C	146
56°C	153
57°C	161
58°C	169
59°C	176
60°C	185
61°C	193
62°C	201
63°C	210
64°C	219
65°C	228
66°C	237

CoolProp 7.2.0 · PSIG/kPa = gauge · PSIA = PSIG + 14.6959 · kPa(abs) = kPa(gauge) + 101.325

Full saturation values at 1° increments. Toggle between °F / PSIG and °C / kPa. Use Print / Save as PDF for laminated shop reference, or download the CSV / JSON below for use in other tools. R-123 PT chart data: CoolProp 7.2.0 (published Helmholtz equations of state / mixture models — see the source citations above).

Higher toxicity, no flame propagation

Higher toxicity (Occupational Exposure Limit < 400 ppm). No flame propagation. R-123, R-245fa, R-514A are B1.

Flammability: None
Toxicity: Higher (OEL < 400 ppm)

Classification per ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2022^{[2], safety group definitions and refrigerant safety classifications}. See full reference.

Saturation pressure-temperature curve

Pressure

Temperature

Highlight at°F

Quick lookup — R-123

Temp:°F

−3.3PSIG(−22 kPa)

Range: −40 to 150°F Open full PT calculator →

Common service temperatures

32°F

−10PSIG

Freezing

45°F

−8PSIG

Heat-pump heat

70°F

−3PSIG

Standard

75°F

−2PSIG

Test ref

80°F

−1PSIG

Warm

95°F

4PSIG

Summer peak

Saturation values from CoolProp 7.2.0^[3]. Operating pressure on a running system differs — see the operating-pressure references for in-use values.

At a glance

Chemistry

CHCl2CF3

2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane

Lubricant compatibility

MOABPOE

Trade names

Freon™ 123 — Chemours^[6]

Common applications

Centrifugal chillers (replacement for CFC-11)

Properties

Boiling point (1 atm)
82.1°F (27.8°C)
Critical point
362.6°F (183.7°C) at 518 PSIG
Molar mass
152.93 g/mol
ODP
0.02
GWP (100-yr)
77 IPCC AR4 IPCC: AR4 77 · AR5 79 · AR6 90.4
Atmospheric lifetime
1.3 years
New-equipment status (US)
Class II ODS (HCFC) — US production/import phased out (see timeline).

What is R-123?

R-123 is 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane (CHCl₂CF₃), an HCFC^[4] in safety group B1^[2]. Its normal boiling point is 82.1°F, so at chilled-water evaporator temperatures it sits below atmospheric pressure (see the table)^[6].

Where R-123 is used

EPA lists R-1233zd(E) and R-514A as acceptable for new chillers^[8]

Regulatory & phase-down status

Existing R-123 chillers can still be serviced: production and import for servicing equipment made before 2020 continues until January 1, 2030^[7].

Service notes

Servicing it requires Section 608 certification; Type III covers low-pressure appliances, the class R-123 falls in^[9]^[10].

Operating cycle

Phase-down timeline

R-123 is an ozone-depleting substance controlled under the US Clean Air Act (class II — HCFC). Milestones below are US production/import limits.

January 1, 2015 — No production or import, except as refrigerants in equipment manufactured before January 1, 2020^[7].
January 1, 2030 — No production or import^[7].

Servicing. Existing R-123 chillers can stay in service^[8]. Until January 1, 2030^[7], new R-123 may be produced or imported only to service equipment manufactured before January 1, 2020; after that, servicing relies on recovered and reclaimed R-123^[8].

Global warming potential, in context

Low-pressure centrifugal chillers

Retrofit and replacement paths

R-123 replaces

R-11 A1 · GWP 4,750

Replacements for R-123

Reading the R-123 PT chart — very low pressures, sub-atmospheric on chiller evaporator

R-123's PT chart shows very low pressures across the chiller operating range. At 40°F its saturation pressure is 18.2 in. Hg vacuum (computed from the table), so evaporators at chilled-water temperatures run below atmospheric pressure.

Single saturation curve (pure refrigerant, no glide).

R-123 vs R-11, R-1233zd(E), R-1224yd(Z), R-514A: saturation pressure

Saturation pressure (PSIG, gauge) for R-123 vs R-11, R-1233zd(E), R-1224yd(Z), R-514A. Sources: R-123, R-11 and R-1233zd(E): CoolProp 7.2.0 dataset; R-1224yd(Z): CoolProp 8.0.0 dataset; R-514A: Chemours chart C-10867.
Temp	R-123	R-11	R-1233zd(E)	R-1224yd(Z)	R-514A
0°F	25.9 in. Hg vac.	24.7 in. Hg vac.	23.8 in. Hg vac.	22.9 in. Hg vac.	—
40°F	18.2 in. Hg vac.	15.6 in. Hg vac.	12.7 in. Hg vac.	10.3 in. Hg vac.	18.8 in. Hg vac.
70°F	6.6 in. Hg vac.	2.7 in. Hg vac.	1.6	3.9	7.7 in. Hg vac.
100°F	6.1	8.9	14.4	18.2	5.3

Frequently asked

›What is R-123 used for?

Centrifugal chillers — Chemours describes it as a replacement for CFC-11^[6].

›Why was R-123 phased out?

Ozone-depletion potential. Its ODP is 0.02 (Montreal Protocol value)^[5]; HCFCs came under Montreal Protocol control with the 1992 Copenhagen Amendment^[11].

US implementation through 40 CFR Part 82 Subpart A: since 2015 R-123 is produced or imported only for equipment made before January 1, 2020, with no production or import from January 1, 2030^[7].

›What's R-123's GWP and ODP?

GWP 77 (IPCC AR4) and ODP 0.02 (Montreal Protocol)^[5].

›Is R-123 still legal?

Since 2015 US production and import has been allowed only as refrigerant for equipment made before January 1, 2020, ending entirely January 1, 2030^[7].

›Why is R-123 B1 (higher toxicity) instead of A1?

Its workplace environmental exposure limit (WEEL) is 50 ppm as an 8- and 12-hour average, set by OARS^[6]; ASHRAE puts refrigerants with exposure limits below 400 ppm in toxicity class B^[2].

›What lubricant does R-123 use?

Chemours reports that lubricants used with CFC-11 perform satisfactorily with R-123^[6].

›Can I retrofit an R-123 chiller to R-1233zd(E)?

EPA's SNAP program lists R-1233zd(E) as acceptable for new chillers^[8].

Download this dataset

Full PT chart for R-123 · CC BY 4.0 · attribute the source

CSV JSON

Sources & citations

[1]
Opteon™ XP30 and Freon™ 123 Pressure-Temperature Data (Eng). Chemours. C-10867 (6/16). https://www.opteon.com/en/-/media/files/opteon/opteon-xp30-pressure-temp-data-eng.pdf (accessed October 5, 2026)
[2]
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2022, Designation and Safety Classification of Refrigerants (free read-only version). ASHRAE. 2022. https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/standards-and-guidelines/read-only-versions-of-ashrae-standards (accessed October 2, 2026)
[3]
CoolProp 7.2.0. CoolProp (I. H. Bell, J. Wronski, S. Quoilin, V. Lemort). https://coolprop.org/ (accessed October 2, 2026). Bell, I. H.; Wronski, J.; Quoilin, S.; Lemort, V. Pure and Pseudo-pure Fluid Thermophysical Property Evaluation and the Open-Source Thermophysical Property Library CoolProp. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 53, 2498–2508 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1021/ie4033999
[4]
ASHRAE Refrigerant Designations. ASHRAE. web page, updated May 25, 2021. https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/standards-and-guidelines/ashrae-refrigerant-designations (accessed October 2, 2026)
[5]
Ozone-Depleting Substances. US EPA. last updated April 9, 2026. https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/ozone-depleting-substances (accessed October 2, 2026)
[6]
Freon™ 123 Refrigerant (R-123) Properties, Uses, Storage, and Handling. Chemours. C-11068 (7/26). https://www.freon.com/en/-/media/files/freon/freon-123-push-bulletin.pdf?rev=b5fb1eba89d946d898997fea881b03b2 (accessed October 2, 2026)
[7]
Phaseout of Class II Ozone-Depleting Substances. US EPA. last updated April 1, 2026. https://www.epa.gov/ods-phaseout/phaseout-class-ii-ozone-depleting-substances (accessed October 2, 2026)
[8]
Management of HCFC-123 through the Phaseout and Beyond. US EPA. August 2020. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/documents/us_management_of_hcfc-123.pdf (accessed October 2, 2026)
[9]
Section 608 Technician Certification — Test Topics. US EPA. last updated December 5, 2025. https://www.epa.gov/node/121047 (accessed October 2, 2026)
[10]
40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions (Section 608). eCFR (Office of the Federal Register). current. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-82/subpart-F/section-82.152 (accessed October 2, 2026)
[11]
Copenhagen Amendment (1992). UNEP Ozone Secretariat. web page. https://ozone.unep.org/treaties/montreal-protocol/amendments/copenhagen-amendment-1992-amendment-montreal-protocol-agreed (accessed October 2, 2026)
[12]
2017 Guideline for Assignment of Refrigerant Container Colors (AHRI Guideline N-2017). AHRI. 2017. https://www.ahrinet.org/system/files/2023-06/AHRI_Guideline_N_2017.pdf (accessed October 2, 2026)
[13]
IPCC AR4 WG1 (2007), Chapter 2, Table 2.14, 100-year Global Warming Potentials. IPCC AR4 Working Group I. 2007. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ar4-wg1-chapter2-1.pdf (accessed October 2, 2026)