Definitions for "Hydrofluorocarbons"
(HFCs). These chemicals (along with perfluorocarbons) were introduced as alternatives to ozone depleting substances in serving many industrial, commercial, and personal needs. HFCs are emitted as by-products of industrial processes and are also used in manufacturing. They do not significantly deplete the stratospheric ozone layer, but they are powerful greenhouse gases with global warming potentials ranging from 140 (HFC-152a) to 12,100 (HFC-23).
Composed of hydrogen (H), carbon (C) and fluorine (F). The second generation of CFC substitutes, containing no chlorine atoms at all
Carbon-fluorine compounds that often contain other elements such as hydrogen, chlorine, or bromine. Common fluorocarbons include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and related compounds, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorcarbons (PFCs). They have been used as refrigerants, aerosol propellants, cleaning solvents, as well as in the manufacture of plastic foam. CFCs in particular are suspected of causing ozone depletion in the stratosphere. HFCs, which were introduced as alternatives to CFCs and are emitted as by-products of industrial processes and in manufacturing, are powerful greenhouse gases. (Source: Government of Canada Climate Change Site, Glossary of Climate Change Terms)