R-516A
Ternary HFC/HFO blend (77.5% R-1234yf / 8.5% R-134a / 14% R-152a). ASHRAE A2L, GWP 142 — meets the EU F-Gas Regulation 150 threshold. Engineered as a very-low-GWP R-134a replacement for medium-temperature commercial refrigeration.
Lower toxicity. Flame propagates in air at 60°C, but with a low burning velocity (≤ 10 cm/s) and a heat of combustion < 19,000 kJ/kg. Requires A2L-rated equipment, leak detection, and charge limits per UL 60335-2-40 and ASHRAE 15. R-32, R-454B, R-1234yf, R-1234ze(E), R-452B, R-454C, R-455A, R-516A are A2L.
- Flammability
- Low (burning velocity ≤ 10 cm/s)
- Toxicity
- Lower (OEL ≥ 400 ppm)
Classification per ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2022. See full reference.
Saturation pressure-temperature curve
Saturation values from CoolProp 7.2.0 HEOS::R1234yf[0.69711]&R134a[0.08545]&R152a[0.21744]. Operating pressure on a running system differs — see the operating-pressure references for in-use values.
R-516A PT chart PDF — printable saturation table
Looking for the R-516A 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-516A PT Chart — Pressure-Temperature Saturation Table
1° increments · Source: CoolProp 7.2.0 / manufacturer datasheet · hvacptcharts.com
| Temp (°F) | Pressure (PSIG) |
|---|---|
| -40°F | -5.7 |
| -39°F | -5.5 |
| -38°F | -5.2 |
| -37°F | -5.0 |
| -36°F | -4.7 |
| -35°F | -4.4 |
| -34°F | -4.2 |
| -33°F | -3.9 |
| -32°F | -3.6 |
| -31°F | -3.3 |
| -30°F | -3.0 |
| -29°F | -2.7 |
| -28°F | -2.4 |
| -27°F | -2.1 |
| -26°F | -1.8 |
| -25°F | -1.4 |
| -24°F | -1.1 |
| -23°F | -0.7 |
| -22°F | -0.4 |
| -21°F | -0.0 |
| -20°FNBP (atmospheric) | 0.3 |
| -19°F | 0.7 |
| -18°F | 1.1 |
| -17°F | 1.5 |
| -16°F | 1.9 |
| -15°F | 2.3 |
| -14°F | 2.7 |
| -13°F | 3.1 |
| -12°F | 3.5 |
| -11°F | 3.9 |
| -10°F | 4.4 |
| -9°F | 4.8 |
| -8°F | 5.3 |
| -7°F | 5.8 |
| -6°F | 6.2 |
| -5°F | 6.7 |
| -4°F | 7.2 |
| -3°F | 7.7 |
| -2°F | 8.2 |
| -1°F | 8.7 |
| 0°F | 9.2 |
| 1°F | 9.8 |
| 2°F | 10.3 |
| 3°F | 10.9 |
| 4°F | 11.4 |
| 5°F | 12.0 |
| 6°F | 12.6 |
| 7°F | 13.2 |
| 8°F | 13.8 |
| 9°F | 14.4 |
| 10°F | 15.0 |
| 11°F | 15.6 |
| 12°F | 16.3 |
| 13°F | 16.9 |
| 14°F | 17.6 |
| 15°F | 18.3 |
| 16°F | 18.9 |
| 17°F | 19.6 |
| 18°F | 20.4 |
| 19°F | 21.1 |
| 20°FMT evap target | 21.8 |
| 21°F | 22.5 |
| 22°F | 23.3 |
| 23°F | 24.1 |
| 24°F | 24.8 |
| 25°F | 25.6 |
| 26°F | 26.4 |
| 27°F | 27.2 |
| 28°F | 28.0 |
| 29°F | 28.9 |
| 30°F | 29.7 |
| 31°F | 30.6 |
| 32°FH₂O freeze | 31.4 |
| 33°F | 32.3 |
| 34°F | 33.2 |
| 35°FMT box temp | 34.1 |
| 36°F | 35.1 |
| 37°F | 36.0 |
| 38°F | 37.0 |
| 39°F | 37.9 |
| 40°F | 38.9 |
| 41°F | 39.9 |
| 42°F | 40.9 |
| 43°F | 41.9 |
| 44°F | 43.0 |
| 45°F | 44.0 |
| 46°F | 45.1 |
| 47°F | 46.1 |
| 48°F | 47.2 |
| 49°F | 48.3 |
| 50°F | 49.5 |
| 51°F | 50.6 |
| 52°F | 51.7 |
| 53°F | 52.9 |
| 54°F | 54.1 |
| 55°F | 55.3 |
| 56°F | 56.5 |
| 57°F | 57.7 |
| 58°F | 59.0 |
| 59°F | 60.2 |
| 60°F | 61.5 |
| 61°F | 62.8 |
| 62°F | 64.1 |
| 63°F | 65.4 |
| 64°F | 66.8 |
| 65°F | 68.1 |
| 66°F | 69.5 |
| 67°F | 70.9 |
| 68°F | 72.3 |
| 69°F | 73.7 |
| 70°F | 75.2 |
| 71°F | 76.7 |
| 72°F | 78.1 |
| 73°F | 79.6 |
| 74°F | 81.2 |
| 75°F | 82.7 |
| 76°F | 84.2 |
| 77°F | 85.8 |
| 78°F | 87.4 |
| 79°F | 89.0 |
| 80°F | 90.7 |
| 81°F | 92.3 |
| 82°F | 94.0 |
| 83°F | 95.7 |
| 84°F | 97.4 |
| 85°F | 99.1 |
| 86°F | 100.8 |
| 87°F | 102.6 |
| 88°F | 104.4 |
| 89°F | 106.2 |
| 90°F | 108.0 |
| 91°F | 109.9 |
| 92°F | 111.7 |
| 93°F | 113.6 |
| 94°F | 115.5 |
| 95°FAHRI design ambient | 117.5 |
| 96°F | 119.4 |
| 97°F | 121.4 |
| 98°F | 123.4 |
| 99°F | 125.4 |
| 100°F | 127.5 |
| 101°F | 129.5 |
| 102°F | 131.6 |
| 103°F | 133.7 |
| 104°F | 135.8 |
| 105°F | 138.0 |
| 106°F | 140.2 |
| 107°F | 142.4 |
| 108°F | 144.6 |
| 109°F | 146.8 |
| 110°FCond saturation | 149.1 |
| 111°F | 151.4 |
| 112°F | 153.7 |
| 113°F | 156.0 |
| 114°F | 158.4 |
| 115°F | 160.8 |
| 116°F | 163.2 |
| 117°F | 165.7 |
| 118°F | 168.1 |
| 119°F | 170.6 |
| 120°F | 173.1 |
| 121°F | 175.7 |
| 122°F | 178.2 |
| 123°F | 180.8 |
| 124°F | 183.4 |
| 125°F | 186.1 |
| 126°F | 188.7 |
| 127°F | 191.4 |
| 128°F | 194.2 |
| 129°F | 196.9 |
| 130°F | 199.7 |
| 131°F | 202.5 |
| 132°F | 205.3 |
| 133°F | 208.2 |
| 134°F | 211.1 |
| 135°F | 214.0 |
| 136°F | 216.9 |
| 137°F | 219.9 |
| 138°F | 222.9 |
| 139°F | 225.9 |
| 140°F | 229.0 |
| 141°F | 232.1 |
| 142°F | 235.2 |
| 143°F | 238.3 |
| 144°F | 241.5 |
| 145°F | 244.7 |
| 146°F | 248.0 |
| 147°F | 251.2 |
| 148°F | 254.5 |
| 149°F | 257.9 |
| 150°F | 261.2 |
| Temp (°C) | Pressure (kPa) |
|---|---|
| -40°C | -40 |
| -39°C | -36 |
| -38°C | -33 |
| -37°C | -30 |
| -36°C | -26 |
| -35°C | -23 |
| -34°C | -19 |
| -33°C | -15 |
| -32°C | -11 |
| -31°C | -7 |
| -30°C | -3 |
| -29°CNBP (atmospheric) | 2 |
| -28°C | 6 |
| -27°C | 11 |
| -26°C | 16 |
| -25°C | 21 |
| -24°C | 27 |
| -23°C | 32 |
| -22°C | 38 |
| -21°C | 44 |
| -20°C | 50 |
| -19°C | 56 |
| -18°C | 62 |
| -17°C | 69 |
| -16°C | 76 |
| -15°C | 83 |
| -14°C | 90 |
| -13°C | 98 |
| -12°C | 105 |
| -11°C | 113 |
| -10°C | 121 |
| -9°C | 130 |
| -8°C | 138 |
| -7°CMT evap target | 147 |
| -6°C | 156 |
| -5°C | 166 |
| -4°C | 176 |
| -3°C | 185 |
| -2°C | 196 |
| -1°C | 206 |
| 0°CH₂O freeze | 217 |
| 1°C | 228 |
| 2°CMT box temp | 239 |
| 3°C | 251 |
| 4°C | 263 |
| 5°C | 275 |
| 6°C | 288 |
| 7°C | 300 |
| 8°C | 314 |
| 9°C | 327 |
| 10°C | 341 |
| 11°C | 355 |
| 12°C | 370 |
| 13°C | 384 |
| 14°C | 400 |
| 15°C | 415 |
| 16°C | 431 |
| 17°C | 447 |
| 18°C | 464 |
| 19°C | 481 |
| 20°C | 499 |
| 21°C | 516 |
| 22°C | 535 |
| 23°C | 553 |
| 24°C | 572 |
| 25°C | 592 |
| 26°C | 611 |
| 27°C | 632 |
| 28°C | 652 |
| 29°C | 674 |
| 30°C | 695 |
| 31°C | 717 |
| 32°C | 740 |
| 33°C | 763 |
| 34°C | 786 |
| 35°CAHRI design ambient | 810 |
| 36°C | 834 |
| 37°C | 859 |
| 38°C | 884 |
| 39°C | 910 |
| 40°C | 937 |
| 41°C | 963 |
| 42°C | 991 |
| 43°CCond saturation | 1,019 |
| 44°C | 1,047 |
| 45°C | 1,076 |
| 46°C | 1,105 |
| 47°C | 1,135 |
| 48°C | 1,166 |
| 49°C | 1,197 |
| 50°C | 1,229 |
| 51°C | 1,261 |
| 52°C | 1,294 |
| 53°C | 1,327 |
| 54°C | 1,361 |
| 55°C | 1,396 |
| 56°C | 1,431 |
| 57°C | 1,467 |
| 58°C | 1,504 |
| 59°C | 1,541 |
| 60°C | 1,579 |
| 61°C | 1,617 |
| 62°C | 1,656 |
| 63°C | 1,696 |
| 64°C | 1,737 |
| 65°C | 1,778 |
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-516A 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
POE required. A2L — mildly flammable. Low GWP (under 150). R-134a retrofit option in markets prioritizing low GWP.
Blend composition
- R-1234yf77.5%
- R-134a8.5%
- R-152a14.0%
Common applications
- Medium-temperature commercial refrigeration
- R-134a retrofit
- Mobile AC alternative (specialty)
Properties
- Boiling point (1 atm)-29.4°C / -20.9°F
- Critical pointNo single point — blend critical locus
- Molar mass102.58 g/mol
- Temperature glideNegligible (-0.03°F)
- ODP0
- GWP (AR5, 100-yr)142
- GWP (AR6, 100-yr)161
What is R-516A?
R-516A is a ternary near-azeotropic blend of 77.5% R-1234yf, 8.5% R-134a, and 14% R-152a by mass. The R-1234yf-dominant composition produces a very low GWP of 142 — below the EU F-Gas Regulation 150 threshold for new stationary refrigeration that most HFC blends fail. The R-152a contribution is unusual among HFC/HFO blends and contributes to capacity in the medium-temperature range.
R-516A's saturation pressures are very close to R-134a — at 70°F approximately 75 PSIG vs R-134a's 71 PSIG. This makes it a strong candidate for R-134a equipment retrofit where the A2L safety class change is acceptable.
Where R-516A is used
- Medium-temperature commercial refrigeration (supermarket display cases, walk-in coolers)
- R-134a retrofit (where A2L is acceptable)
- Some heat pump applications
- Some industrial chiller designs
Regulatory & phase-down status
R-516A's GWP of 142 meets the EU F-Gas Regulation 150 threshold for new stationary refrigeration — joining R-454C (148), R-455A (148), R-744 (1), and R-290 (3) as the very-low-GWP options that satisfy the EU's long-term replacement objectives. It also passes the EPA AIM Act 700 threshold by a wide margin.
R-516A is less broadly deployed than R-454C and R-455A so far — partly because of the inclusion of R-152a (which is itself A2 flammable and adds blend complexity), partly because of distributor and OEM ecosystem maturity. For applications where R-134a's pressure envelope and equipment design specifics matter, R-516A is the closest very-low-GWP A2L match.
Service notes
Polyolester (POE) oil is required. Mineral oil and alkylbenzene are not miscible. POE is hygroscopic; deep vacuum and verified hold before charging matter.
R-516A is near-azeotropic — temperature glide approximately 0°F (less than 0.5°F at any operating point per CoolProp HEOS calculation). For practical service it behaves as a pure refrigerant.
A2L safety class requires: A2L-rated charge limits per UL 60335-2-40 and ASHRAE 15; refrigerant leak detection sensors; no open flames during service; A2L-rated recovery cylinders (yellow with red top stripe); technician A2L handling training beyond standard EPA Section 608.
Operating cycle
Phase-down timeline
R-516A is not currently regulated by AIM Act or EU F-Gas phase-down. Its very low GWP (142) places it below regulatory thresholds. No published phase-down milestones exist for this refrigerant — it is a forward-compatible option for the current low-GWP transition rather than a refrigerant being phased out.
Global warming potential, in context
Commercial refrigeration — medium temperature
Retrofit and replacement paths
R-516A replaces
Frequently asked
›What is the difference between R-516A and R-454C?
Both are very-low-GWP A2L blends below the EU F-Gas 150 threshold. R-516A is ternary (77.5% R-1234yf / 8.5% R-134a / 14% R-152a) with near-azeotropic behavior; R-454C is binary (21.5% R-32 / 78.5% R-1234yf) with ~9°F glide. R-516A targets R-134a replacement (similar pressures); R-454C targets R-404A replacement (different pressure envelope). The choice depends on which legacy refrigerant the system is replacing.
›Why does R-516A include R-152a?
R-152a contributes useful capacity in the medium-temperature range and helps the blend hit the GWP 142 target without requiring 100% R-1234yf (which would have undesirable pressure characteristics for some applications). R-152a itself is A2 (flammable, higher burning velocity than A2L), but at 14% mass fraction in R-516A the overall blend rates as A2L. This is a common blend design technique — using component refrigerants that are individually in higher hazard categories but at concentrations that keep the blend in a lower category.
›How does R-516A compare to R-134a?
Pressures within a few PSI — at 70°F R-516A is 75 PSIG vs R-134a's 71 PSIG. The substantive differences are GWP (R-516A 142 vs R-134a 1430 — a 90% reduction) and safety class (R-516A A2L mildly flammable vs R-134a A1 non-flammable). R-516A is the structural very-low-GWP replacement where A2L safety procedures are acceptable.
›What lubricant does R-516A use?
Polyolester (POE) oil. Mineral oil and alkylbenzene are not miscible. POE is hygroscopic; deep vacuum matters.
›Does R-516A have temperature glide?
Negligible — less than 0.5°F at any operating point. R-516A is near-azeotropic and behaves as a pure refrigerant for service purposes. Charging by gauge is more reliable than for high-glide blends like R-454C or R-407C.
›Why isn't R-516A more widely deployed than R-454C and R-455A?
Mostly market timing and ecosystem maturity. R-454C (Chemours) and R-455A (Honeywell) have stronger manufacturer marketing positions and equipment OEM approval lists. R-516A's R-152a inclusion adds a small blend complexity that some equipment compatibility programs haven't certified. For applications where R-134a's pressure envelope is the specific target, R-516A is technically well-suited; for R-404A applications R-454C/R-455A dominate.
›Is R-516A AIM Act and EU F-Gas compliant?
Yes to both. GWP 142 is below the EPA AIM Act 700 threshold for new equipment and below the EU F-Gas Regulation 150 threshold for new stationary refrigeration. R-516A is one of the very-low-GWP A2L refrigerants meeting the EU's long-term replacement objectives.