Refrigerant for reefer transport and cold chain
A refrigeration system that lives on a vehicle
Transport refrigeration is the hardest service environment in the cold chain. The unit is mounted on something that vibrates continuously, runs through ambient swings from a loading bay to a highway at forty degrees, gets washed, knocked and loaded around, and is expected to hold a set point the whole time.
Vibration is the defining problem. It works joints loose over time in a way that static plant never experiences, which is why TRUs leak more than comparable stationary equipment and why refrigerant consumption per unit of capacity is comparatively high in this sector. A fleet operator who tracks gas purchases per vehicle usually finds the distribution tells them which units need attention.
The R-404A to R-452A transition
| R-404A | R-452A | |
|---|---|---|
| GWP (AR4 basis) | 3,922 | Substantially lower |
| Blend type | Zeotropic (HFC) | Zeotropic (HFC/HFO) |
| Oil | POE | POE |
| Typical use | Installed TRU base | Newer and retrofitted units |
R-452A was formulated to sit close to R-404A in pressure and capacity so that transport equipment could move across without redesign, which is why the transport sector adopted it faster than most. It is still not a drop-in: it is a different blend with different composition, and a retrofit is a considered job, not a top-up.
The practical position for an Indian fleet in 2026 is mixed: an installed base overwhelmingly on R-404A, newer units arriving on R-452A, and workshops needing to keep both straight. Mislabelling one as the other is the failure mode to design against — which is where cylinder discipline and documented supply earn their keep.
Charging, and why temperature claims depend on it
Both gases are zeotropic. That means:
- Charge liquid, never vapour. Vapour-charging fractionates the blend and you end up running a mixture that is no longer what the label says
- Do not top up after a large leak — recover, evacuate and recharge to the full nameplate weight
- Read superheat off dew point and subcooling off bubble point, because a glide blend has two saturation temperatures at one pressure, not one
For a reefer this is not a nicety. If you are carrying pharmaceuticals or produce under a temperature-integrity commitment, the whole claim rests on the unit holding set point, and a fractionated charge is a slow, invisible way to lose that. Glide and blends explained.
Supply for fleets and workshops
We supply R-404A to transport workshops, fleet operators and cold-chain logistics companies, alongside the consumables that go with the work — and can dispatch Pan-India, which matters for operators whose workshops are not in Hyderabad.
What we would ask you to send: the unit type, the gas, the quantity and the location. Pack sizes vary and are subject to current stock. We do not publish prices, because refrigerant pricing moves with duty and quota and any figure posted here would be wrong within weeks.
Quick answers
What refrigerant do reefer trucks and containers use?
The installed base runs predominantly on R-404A. Newer transport refrigeration units increasingly use R-452A, which was formulated to match R-404A's pressure and capacity closely while carrying a lower global warming potential.
Is R-452A a drop-in replacement for R-404A?
No. It is close enough in performance that equipment did not need redesigning around it, but it is a different blend and changing over is a proper retrofit — recover, evacuate and recharge — not a top-up.
Why do transport refrigeration units leak more than static plant?
Continuous vibration. A vehicle-mounted system works its joints and connections in a way that fixed plant never experiences, which loosens them over time and makes leak development faster.
- ASHRAE — refrigerant designations and blend safety classifications under Standard 34 — ashrae.org.
- IPCC Fourth Assessment Report — 100-year GWP values — ipcc.ch.
- Ozone Cell, MoEFCC — Kigali Amendment HFC phase-down schedule for India — ozonecell.nic.in.
This guide is general information compiled from the cited sources — not legal, safety or engineering advice. Read our full disclaimer.
Related: R-404A supply · R-404A retrofit routes · Dairy & frozen food · Blends and glide