Refrigeration oil lubricates the compressor while being chemically miscible with the specific refrigerant. POE (polyol ester) for HFC refrigerants R-134a / R-410A / R-32 / R-404A. PAG for HFO-1234yf and some legacy R-134a. Mineral / alkylbenzene for HCFC R-22 (phasing out) and natural refrigerants. India market driven by AC manufacturing (LG, Voltas, Daikin, Bluestar) and split-AC service aftermarket. This guide gives the recommended POE R-410A BOM, refrigerant compatibility map and Indian sourcing.
| Component | Function | % (m/m) | Indian Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyol ester (PE-trioleate / trinonanoate) VG 32 | Primary base — HFC-miscible | 90.0% | Croda Priolube / Solutia / specialty ester |
| R&O additive package (refrigeration grade, low-residue) | Rust + oxidation | 0.5% | Specialty refrigeration additive |
| Amine phosphate AW (NO ZDDP) | Anti-wear without Zn contamination | 0.5% | BASF Irgalube TPPT / equivalent |
| Hindered phenol + aminic AO blend | Oxidation inhibitor | 0.4% | BASF Irganox + LANXESS Naugalube |
| Alkenyl-succinic-acid CI | Ferrous rust protection | 0.3% | King K-Corr 200 |
| Foam inhibitor (silicone) | Foam control (very low dose) | 50 ppm | Dow Corning |
| POE diluent (low-MW polyol ester) | KV / consistency fine-tune | 8.3% | Same as base oil supplier |
| TOTAL | 100.0% | — | |
| CRITICAL: NO ZDDP (Zn contamination), NO chlorinated paraffin, water <50 ppm | |||
Process: blend POE + diluent at 60 °C in moisture-excluded vessel (N2 blanket); charge additives; minimize exposure time to ambient humidity. QC: KV40 32 cSt, KV100 5.5 cSt, water content <50 ppm by Karl Fischer (CRITICAL), miscibility with R-410A at -40 °C (no flock), copper strip 1B, TAN <0.05 mg KOH/g. Ex-works cost ₹340-460 / L. Pack in N2-blanketed sealed cans — 500 ml or 1 L typical for service. Storage life sealed 2 years; after opening 6 months.
| Refrigerant | Type | Compatible Oil | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-22 | HCFC (phasing out) | Mineral / alkylbenzene | Legacy split AC, packaged AC |
| R-134a | HFC | POE or PAG (PAG for car AC) | Car AC, domestic fridge, water cooler |
| R-410A | HFC blend | POE ISO VG 32 | Split AC residential, packaged AC |
| R-32 | HFC (newer) | POE ISO VG 32 | Split AC newer, lower GWP |
| R-404A / R-507A | HFC blend | POE ISO VG 32/68 | Commercial freezer, cold storage |
| R-1234yf | HFO (newest) | PAG specific | Premium car AC, EV thermal |
| R-290 (propane) | Natural HC | Mineral / alkylbenzene | Domestic fridge (greener alternative) |
| R-744 (CO2) | Natural | POE / PAG specific (CO2 grade) | Commercial refrigeration, heat pump |
Refrigeration oil lubricates the compressor while being chemically compatible with the refrigerant. Three oil families: (1) POE (polyol ester) — for HFC R-134a, R-410A, R-32, R-404A. (2) PAG (polyalkylene glycol) — for HFO-1234yf and some legacy R-134a. (3) Mineral / alkylbenzene — for HCFC R-22 and natural refrigerants R-290, R-600a, R-744.
Each refrigerant has specific oil compatibility — mixing wrong oil with wrong refrigerant causes compressor failure within hours.
POE ISO VG 32 for R-410A BOM (%): polyol ester (PE-trioleate / trinonanoate) 90%, R&O additive 0.5%, amine phosphate AW (NO ZDDP) 0.5%, phenolic + aminic AO 0.4%, ASA CI 0.3%, foam inhibitor 50 ppm, balance POE diluent.
Process: blend at 60 °C with N2 blanket. QC: KV40 32 cSt, water <50 ppm Karl Fischer, miscibility with R-410A at -40 °C (no flock).
HFC refrigerants are polar — immiscible with non-polar mineral oil. If oil/refrigerant separate inside the compressor, oil sits at bottom of sump and refrigerant flows alone — compressor seizes. POE is also polar and fully miscible with HFC. Oil and refrigerant return together to the compressor sump.
POE also tolerates 100-130 °C compressor discharge temperature. Critical: POE is HYGROSCOPIC. Storage in sealed containers; brief exposure during service must be minimised.
India refrigerant phase-out under Kigali Amendment: R-22 banned for new equipment 2030, existing service through 2040. Replaced by R-410A (GWP 2088). R-410A being phased down — replaced by R-32 (GWP 675), R-454B. R-1234yf (HFO, very low GWP 4) is newest car-AC refrigerant.
Indian car AC: ~70% R-134a, ~25% R-1234yf (premium / EV), ~5% legacy R-12. Indian split AC: ~50% R-410A (POE), ~40% R-32 (POE), ~10% R-22 legacy.
India refrigeration oil driven by AC manufacturing (LG, Voltas, Daikin, Bluestar, Hitachi, Carrier) and aftermarket service. Volume ~25-40 ML/year. Brands: Daphne Hermetic (Idemitsu), Texaco Capella, Mobil EAL Arctic, Castrol Icematic SW, Lukoil, Shell Clavus, Suniso. OEM-fill licensed.
₹420-980 / L premium POE; ₹220-380 / L mineral for legacy R-22. Lubechem custom POE (LC-REFRIG-POE-32) ex-works ₹340-460/L; mineral (LC-REFRIG-MIN-32) ex-works ₹180-260/L.
POE absorbs water from atmosphere — fresh POE 30 ppm; 2-hr humid exposure 200-500 ppm; 24-hr open container 1000+ ppm. Water causes: acid formation (POE hydrolyses to acid + alcohol), corrosion, freezing in expansion valve.
Handling: (1) Vacuum-seal POE containers. (2) N2-blanket plant transfer. (3) Drum open time <30 min. (4) System vacuum-pull before recharge. (5) Filter-drier in circuit. Indian service workshops vary in discipline — quality service requires strict POE handling.
Share your refrigerant (R-22 / R-134a / R-410A / R-32 / R-1234yf / R-744), ISO VG grade, OEM and volume. We respond within one business day with the BOM and ex-works cost.