R-12 and R-11 belong to which refrigerant group?

• A. HFCs
• B. HCFCs
• C. CFCs
• D. HFOs

Answer: (C)

R-11 and R-12 are refrigerants in the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) family. They’re fully halogenated, containing chlorine and fluorine on a carbon backbone, with no hydrogen. That chlorine content is the hallmark of CFCs and is what gives them high ozone-depletion potential, which is why these substances were widely used in the past but are being phased out under environmental treaties.

Understanding the other groups helps place them in context. HFCs contain fluorine and a hydrogen-carbon framework but no chlorine, so they don’t deplete the ozone layer. HCFCs do have chlorine, but also hydrogen, making them less ozone-depleting than CFCs and still subject to reduction efforts. HFOs are hydrofluoroolefins with fluorine and hydrogen and no chlorine, offering low ozone impact and typically lower global warming potential.

So, R-11 and R-12 fit the CFC classification because they are chlorine-containing, fully halogenated refrigerants with no hydrogen.