Honeywell will help reduce the climate impact of refrigerators and freezers in China under a grant agreement signed today between the US Trade and Development Agency and Midea, a China-based manufacturer of home appliances.

The project will focus on Honeywell Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA), which allows appliance insulation to expand and provides the majority of the resulting foam’s insulating properties.

Solstice LBA has a global warming potential of 1, which is 99.9 percent lower than the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) it often replaces. It also offers improved insulating performance when compared to those HFCs, Honeywell says. Solstice LBA is nonflammable and is not a volatile organic compound, unlike cyclopentane, an alternative blowing agent.

Honeywell will partner will Midea to further develop the application technology of Solstice LBA for energy-efficient refrigerators in China.