R-245fa
Pure HFC, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane (CHF₂CH₂CF₃). Honeywell Genetron 245fa; foam-blowing variant Enovate 3000. ASHRAE B1 (higher toxicity classification). GWP 1030. Normal boiling +59°F. The workhorse organic Rankine cycle working fluid; also low-pressure centrifugal chillers and foam blowing agent.
Higher toxicity (Occupational Exposure Limit < 400 ppm). No flame propagation. R-123, R-245fa, R-514A are B1. Centrifugal-chiller machine rooms require ventilation, refrigerant leak detection, and emergency egress per ASHRAE Standard 15.
- Flammability
- None
- Toxicity
- Higher (OEL < 400 ppm)
Classification per ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2022. See full reference.
Saturation pressure-temperature curve
Saturation values from CoolProp 7.2.0 R245fa. Operating pressure on a running system differs — see the operating-pressure references for in-use values.
R-245fa PT chart PDF — printable saturation table
Looking for the R-245fa 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). Important service temperatures (normal boiling point, freezing point of water, residential AC evap and condenser targets) are tinted and tagged in the table for at-a-glance shop reference.
R-245fa PT Chart — Pressure-Temperature Saturation Table
1° increments · Source: CoolProp 7.2.0 / manufacturer datasheet · hvacptcharts.com
| Temp (°F) | Pressure (PSIG) |
|---|---|
| -40°F | -13.8 |
| -39°F | -13.8 |
| -38°F | -13.8 |
| -37°F | -13.8 |
| -36°F | -13.7 |
| -35°F | -13.7 |
| -34°F | -13.6 |
| -33°F | -13.6 |
| -32°F | -13.6 |
| -31°F | -13.5 |
| -30°F | -13.5 |
| -29°F | -13.4 |
| -28°F | -13.4 |
| -27°F | -13.3 |
| -26°F | -13.3 |
| -25°F | -13.3 |
| -24°F | -13.2 |
| -23°F | -13.2 |
| -22°F | -13.1 |
| -21°F | -13.0 |
| -20°F | -13.0 |
| -19°F | -12.9 |
| -18°F | -12.9 |
| -17°F | -12.8 |
| -16°F | -12.8 |
| -15°F | -12.7 |
| -14°F | -12.6 |
| -13°F | -12.6 |
| -12°F | -12.5 |
| -11°F | -12.4 |
| -10°F | -12.3 |
| -9°F | -12.3 |
| -8°F | -12.2 |
| -7°F | -12.1 |
| -6°F | -12.0 |
| -5°F | -11.9 |
| -4°F | -11.8 |
| -3°F | -11.8 |
| -2°F | -11.7 |
| -1°F | -11.6 |
| 0°F | -11.5 |
| 1°F | -11.4 |
| 2°F | -11.3 |
| 3°F | -11.2 |
| 4°F | -11.1 |
| 5°F | -11.0 |
| 6°F | -10.9 |
| 7°F | -10.8 |
| 8°F | -10.6 |
| 9°F | -10.5 |
| 10°F | -10.4 |
| 11°F | -10.3 |
| 12°F | -10.2 |
| 13°F | -10.0 |
| 14°F | -9.9 |
| 15°F | -9.8 |
| 16°F | -9.6 |
| 17°F | -9.5 |
| 18°F | -9.3 |
| 19°F | -9.2 |
| 20°F | -9.1 |
| 21°F | -8.9 |
| 22°F | -8.7 |
| 23°F | -8.6 |
| 24°F | -8.4 |
| 25°F | -8.2 |
| 26°F | -8.1 |
| 27°F | -7.9 |
| 28°F | -7.7 |
| 29°F | -7.5 |
| 30°F | -7.3 |
| 31°F | -7.2 |
| 32°FH₂O freeze | -7.0 |
| 33°F | -6.8 |
| 34°F | -6.6 |
| 35°F | -6.4 |
| 36°F | -6.2 |
| 37°F | -5.9 |
| 38°F | -5.7 |
| 39°F | -5.5 |
| 40°F | -5.3 |
| 41°F | -5.0 |
| 42°F | -4.8 |
| 43°F | -4.6 |
| 44°F | -4.3 |
| 45°F | -4.1 |
| 46°F | -3.8 |
| 47°F | -3.5 |
| 48°F | -3.3 |
| 49°F | -3.0 |
| 50°F | -2.7 |
| 51°F | -2.5 |
| 52°F | -2.2 |
| 53°F | -1.9 |
| 54°F | -1.6 |
| 55°F | -1.3 |
| 56°F | -1.0 |
| 57°F | -0.7 |
| 58°F | -0.3 |
| 59°F | -0.0 |
| 60°FNBP (atmospheric) | 0.3 |
| 61°F | 0.6 |
| 62°F | 1.0 |
| 63°F | 1.3 |
| 64°F | 1.7 |
| 65°F | 2.0 |
| 66°F | 2.4 |
| 67°F | 2.8 |
| 68°F | 3.1 |
| 69°F | 3.5 |
| 70°F | 3.9 |
| 71°F | 4.3 |
| 72°F | 4.7 |
| 73°F | 5.1 |
| 74°F | 5.6 |
| 75°F | 6.0 |
| 76°F | 6.4 |
| 77°F | 6.8 |
| 78°F | 7.3 |
| 79°F | 7.8 |
| 80°F | 8.2 |
| 81°F | 8.7 |
| 82°F | 9.2 |
| 83°F | 9.6 |
| 84°F | 10.1 |
| 85°F | 10.6 |
| 86°F | 11.1 |
| 87°F | 11.7 |
| 88°F | 12.2 |
| 89°F | 12.7 |
| 90°F | 13.2 |
| 91°F | 13.8 |
| 92°F | 14.3 |
| 93°F | 14.9 |
| 94°F | 15.5 |
| 95°F | 16.1 |
| 96°F | 16.6 |
| 97°F | 17.2 |
| 98°F | 17.8 |
| 99°F | 18.4 |
| 100°F | 19.1 |
| 101°F | 19.7 |
| 102°F | 20.4 |
| 103°F | 21.0 |
| 104°F | 21.7 |
| 105°F | 22.3 |
| 106°F | 23.0 |
| 107°F | 23.7 |
| 108°F | 24.4 |
| 109°F | 25.1 |
| 110°F | 25.8 |
| 111°F | 26.5 |
| 112°F | 27.3 |
| 113°F | 28.0 |
| 114°F | 28.8 |
| 115°F | 29.6 |
| 116°F | 30.3 |
| 117°F | 31.1 |
| 118°F | 31.9 |
| 119°F | 32.7 |
| 120°F | 33.5 |
| 121°F | 34.4 |
| 122°F | 35.2 |
| 123°F | 36.1 |
| 124°F | 37.0 |
| 125°F | 37.8 |
| 126°F | 38.7 |
| 127°F | 39.6 |
| 128°F | 40.5 |
| 129°F | 41.4 |
| 130°F | 42.4 |
| 131°F | 43.3 |
| 132°F | 44.3 |
| 133°F | 45.3 |
| 134°F | 46.2 |
| 135°F | 47.2 |
| 136°F | 48.2 |
| 137°F | 49.3 |
| 138°F | 50.3 |
| 139°F | 51.3 |
| 140°F | 52.4 |
| 141°F | 53.5 |
| 142°F | 54.5 |
| 143°F | 55.6 |
| 144°F | 56.7 |
| 145°F | 57.9 |
| 146°F | 59.0 |
| 147°F | 60.1 |
| 148°F | 61.3 |
| 149°F | 62.5 |
| 150°F | 63.7 |
| Temp (°C) | Pressure (kPa) |
|---|---|
| -40°C | -96 |
| -39°C | -95 |
| -38°C | -95 |
| -37°C | -94 |
| -36°C | -94 |
| -35°C | -93 |
| -34°C | -93 |
| -33°C | -92 |
| -32°C | -92 |
| -31°C | -91 |
| -30°C | -90 |
| -29°C | -90 |
| -28°C | -89 |
| -27°C | -88 |
| -26°C | -87 |
| -25°C | -87 |
| -24°C | -86 |
| -23°C | -85 |
| -22°C | -84 |
| -21°C | -83 |
| -20°C | -82 |
| -19°C | -81 |
| -18°C | -79 |
| -17°C | -78 |
| -16°C | -77 |
| -15°C | -76 |
| -14°C | -74 |
| -13°C | -73 |
| -12°C | -71 |
| -11°C | -70 |
| -10°C | -68 |
| -9°C | -67 |
| -8°C | -65 |
| -7°C | -63 |
| -6°C | -61 |
| -5°C | -59 |
| -4°C | -57 |
| -3°C | -55 |
| -2°C | -53 |
| -1°C | -50 |
| 0°CH₂O freeze | -48 |
| 1°C | -46 |
| 2°C | -43 |
| 3°C | -40 |
| 4°C | -38 |
| 5°C | -35 |
| 6°C | -32 |
| 7°C | -29 |
| 8°C | -26 |
| 9°C | -22 |
| 10°C | -19 |
| 11°C | -15 |
| 12°C | -12 |
| 13°C | -8 |
| 14°C | -4 |
| 15°C | -0 |
| 16°CNBP (atmospheric) | 4 |
| 17°C | 8 |
| 18°C | 13 |
| 19°C | 17 |
| 20°C | 22 |
| 21°C | 27 |
| 22°C | 31 |
| 23°C | 37 |
| 24°C | 42 |
| 25°C | 47 |
| 26°C | 53 |
| 27°C | 59 |
| 28°C | 64 |
| 29°C | 71 |
| 30°C | 77 |
| 31°C | 83 |
| 32°C | 90 |
| 33°C | 97 |
| 34°C | 103 |
| 35°C | 111 |
| 36°C | 118 |
| 37°C | 126 |
| 38°C | 133 |
| 39°C | 141 |
| 40°C | 149 |
| 41°C | 158 |
| 42°C | 166 |
| 43°C | 175 |
| 44°C | 184 |
| 45°C | 193 |
| 46°C | 203 |
| 47°C | 212 |
| 48°C | 222 |
| 49°C | 232 |
| 50°C | 243 |
| 51°C | 254 |
| 52°C | 264 |
| 53°C | 276 |
| 54°C | 287 |
| 55°C | 299 |
| 56°C | 311 |
| 57°C | 323 |
| 58°C | 335 |
| 59°C | 348 |
| 60°C | 361 |
| 61°C | 375 |
| 62°C | 388 |
| 63°C | 402 |
| 64°C | 416 |
| 65°C | 431 |
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-245fa PT chart data: CoolProp 7.2.0 (REFPROP-compatible Helmholtz EOS) or manufacturer datasheet, validated against AHRI Standard 700-2019.
At a glance
Chemistry
Lubricant compatibility
Low-pressure HFC for organic Rankine cycle and centrifugal chillers. Class B1 indicates higher toxicity than typical HFCs.
Trade names
- Genetron 245faHoneywell
- Enovate 3000Honeywell (foam blowing)
Common applications
- Organic Rankine cycle (geothermal, waste heat recovery)
- Low-pressure centrifugal chillers
- Foam blowing agent (polyurethane)
Properties
- Boiling point (1 atm)15.1°C / 59.1°F
- Critical point308.9°F at 515 PSIG
- Molar mass134.05 g/mol
- Temperature glideNegligible (0.00°F)
- ODP0
- GWP (AR5, 100-yr)1030
- GWP (AR6, 100-yr)962
- Atmospheric lifetime7.9 years
What is R-245fa?
R-245fa is 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane — a pure HFC with relatively high boiling point (+59°F) and B1 safety classification. The B1 indicates higher chronic toxicity than the more typical A1 HFCs — refrigerant concentration limits per ASHRAE 34 are lower, and machine-room ventilation requirements per ASHRAE 15 are more stringent. The "fa" suffix indicates the specific fluorination isomer (1,1,1,3,3-position).
R-245fa's commercial role is concentrated in three areas: (1) organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems for geothermal and waste-heat-recovery power generation; (2) low-pressure centrifugal chillers as a partial R-123 substitute (with lower toxicity than R-123's B1 inherent profile, in some configurations); (3) foam blowing agent for polyurethane insulation under the Honeywell Enovate 3000 brand. The ORC application is the largest by volume — geothermal power plants and industrial waste-heat-recovery systems use R-245fa extensively because its boiling point and pressure envelope match the heat-source temperatures available.
Where R-245fa is used
- Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) — geothermal power plants, industrial waste heat recovery, biomass combustion
- Low-pressure centrifugal chillers (less common than R-1233zd(E))
- Foam blowing agent for polyurethane insulation (Enovate 3000)
- Specialty heat-pump applications (medium-temperature range)
Regulatory & phase-down status
R-245fa's GWP of 1,030 places it within EPA AIM Act phase-down scope. The replacement trajectory for ORC and chiller applications is toward R-1233zd(E) (GWP 1, A1, similar pressure envelope) and R-1336mzz(Z) (GWP 2, A1, higher-temperature applications). The foam-blowing market has largely transitioned to R-1233zd(E) (Honeywell Solstice LBA) and other low-GWP blowing agents.
For ORC specifically, R-245fa remains widely deployed in existing geothermal and waste-heat installations through 2030 — these are 20-30 year capital-intensive installations where retrofit is rare. New ORC installations from 2025+ predominantly specify R-1233zd(E) or R-1336mzz(Z).
Service notes
POE oil is standard. Mineral oil is not used. B1 toxicity classification requires: (1) machine-room ventilation per ASHRAE 15 with B1-appropriate design; (2) leak detection with sensors set below the B1 refrigerant concentration limit; (3) industrial hygiene practices during service (avoid prolonged inhalation, use fume extraction during repairs).
R-245fa is a low-pressure refrigerant — saturation pressures at typical operating temperatures may be sub-atmospheric on the evaporator side. Leak prevention is critical for air-ingress reasons (air contamination of the system) as well as for personnel exposure protection. EPA Section 608 Type I or Universal certification covers R-245fa for refrigeration applications; the ORC and foam-blowing applications have separate regulatory frameworks.
Operating cycle
Phase-down timeline
No phase-down milestones documented for R-245fa in this build. This may mean: (a) no regulatory phase-down currently published; (b) the refrigerant has local regulatory schedules not yet transcribed into the site dataset; or (c) it is a specialty refrigerant outside the main regulatory frameworks. For authoritative current status, consult the EPA AIM Act allocations (40 CFR Part 84), EU F-Gas Regulation 517/2014 + 2024/573, and the relevant national implementations of the Kigali Amendment.
Global warming potential, in context
No peer-comparison group is defined for R-245fa. Its 100-year GWP per IPCC AR5 is 1030 — above the EPA AIM Act 700 GWP cap.
Peer-comparison groups are defined for refrigerants that compete in the same application sector (residential AC, commercial MT/LT, chillers, mobile AC). Specialty or research-grade refrigerants without a clear peer set don't appear in any group; their GWP is shown above in absolute terms instead.
Retrofit and replacement paths
Replacements for R-245fa
Frequently asked
›What's an organic Rankine cycle (ORC)?
A thermodynamic power cycle using an organic working fluid (refrigerant-class molecule) instead of water. Waste heat (geothermal, industrial process exhaust, biomass combustion, solar thermal) at moderate temperature (80-300°C) vaporizes the working fluid; the vapor expands through a turbine to generate electrical power; the exhaust condenses back to liquid for return to the boiler. ORC enables electricity generation from heat sources too cool for steam Rankine cycles. R-245fa is the most-deployed ORC working fluid for the 100-200°C heat-source range, with installed base in tens of thousands of geothermal power units and industrial waste-heat-recovery systems worldwide.
›What does B1 safety classification mean?
ASHRAE 34's safety classification has two letters/numbers: the letter (A/B) indicates toxicity (A = lower, B = higher chronic toxicity); the number indicates flammability (1 = non-flammable, 2L/2/3 = increasingly flammable). B1 means higher chronic toxicity AND non-flammable. R-245fa's B1 classification reflects the long-term inhalation hazard at sustained concentrations — not acute hazard, but enough to require machine-room ventilation and leak-detection per ASHRAE 15 Table 8-2. Service personnel use standard industrial hygiene practices (avoid prolonged direct inhalation, ventilate during service).
›Why is R-245fa being replaced by R-1233zd(E)?
Three reasons: (1) GWP — R-245fa is 1,030; R-1233zd(E) is 1. The 1,000× reduction is the dominant driver; (2) safety class — R-245fa is B1 (higher toxicity, B-class chronic exposure concerns); R-1233zd(E) is A1 (lower toxicity, simpler machine-room requirements); (3) pressure envelope — R-1233zd(E) closely matches R-245fa, simplifying retrofit and equipment redesign. The replacement is well underway; new installations from 2024+ predominantly specify R-1233zd(E) for both ORC and chiller applications.
›What lubricant does R-245fa use?
Polyolester (POE) oil. Mineral oil is incompatible. Some ORC systems use different lubricant chemistries due to the specific operating envelope; consult OEM service literature for application-specific requirements.
›Can I retrofit an R-245fa chiller or ORC system to R-1233zd(E)?
Yes, in most cases, per Honeywell Solstice LBA / Solstice zd documentation. The pressure envelope is very similar; minor compressor curve adjustments may be needed. Procedure: recover R-245fa; replace filter-drier; verify POE oil compatibility (R-1233zd(E) also uses POE); pull vacuum to 500 microns; charge R-1233zd(E) by weight. Expect capacity within 3-5% of original R-245fa performance; efficiency typically similar. Verify B1 vs A1 safety designation requirements — the ventilation and leak-detection setpoints may relax for the A1 R-1233zd(E) but verify per local codes.
›What is the GWP of R-245fa?
1,030 per IPCC AR5. Moderate by HFC standards — comparable to R-134a (1,430), below R-125 (3,500) and R-404A (3,922). The 7.9-year atmospheric lifetime is short for an HFC, keeping the GWP from being higher.