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Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP)
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Substitutes in Polystyrene: Extruded Boardstock and Billet

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more. Substitutes are reviewed on the basis of environmental and health risks, including factors such as ozone depletion potential, global warming potential, toxicity, flammability, and exposure potential. Lists of acceptableThis designation means that a substitute may be used, without restriction, to replace the relevant ODS within the end-use specified. For example, HCFC-22 is an acceptable substitute for R-502 in industrial process refrigeration. Note that all SNAP determinations apply to the use of a specific product as a substitute for a specific ODS in a specific end-use. and UnacceptableThis designation means that it is illegal to use a product as a substitute for an ODS in a specific end-use. For example, HCFC-141b is an unacceptable substitute for CFC-11 in building chillers. Note that all SNAP determinations apply to the use of a specific product as a substitute for a specific ODS in a specific end-use. substitutes are updated several times each year. The list of substitutes is shown below.

Note: SNAP-related information published in the Federal Register takes precedence over all information on this page.

               
Substitute Trade Name(s) ODPA number that refers to the amount of ozone depletion caused by a substance. The ODP is the ratio of the impact on ozone of a chemical compared to the impact of a similar mass of CFC-11. Thus, the ODP of CFC-11 is defined to be 1.0. Other CFCs and HCFCs have ODPs that range from 0.01 to 1.0. The halons have ODPs ranging up to 10. Carbon tetrachloride has an ODP of 1.2, and methyl chloroform's ODP is 0.11. HFCs have zero ODP because they do not contain chlorine. A table of all ozone-depleting substances (http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/ods/index.html) shows their ODPs, GWPs, and CAS numbers. GWPThe index used to translate the level of emissions of various gases into a common measure in order to compare the relative radiative forcing of different gases without directly calculating the changes in atmospheric concentrations. GWPs are calculated as the ratio of the radiative forcing that would result from the emissions of one kilogram of a greenhouse gas to that from the emission of one kilogram of carbon dioxide over a period of time (usually 100 years). Gases involved in complex atmospheric chemical processes have not been assigned GWPs. See lifetime. Flammable SNAP Listing Date Listing Status[1] Further Information
Commercial blends of HFC-365mfc and HFC-227ea containing 7% to 13% HFC-227ea and the remainder HFC-365mfc  Solkane® 365/227 0 N/A no May 17, 2013;
July 20, 2015;
December 1, 2016
Unacceptable, except where allowed under narrowed use limits for military or space- and aeronautics-related applications, as of January 1, 2021. [3]

Unacceptable for military applications as of January 1, 2022 and for space- and aeronautics-related applications as of January 1, 2025. [3]
 
Blends of HCFC-22 / Saturated Light Hydrocarbons (C3-C6)   >0 N/A N/A March 18, 1994;
July 20, 2015
Unacceptable as of September 18, 2015.  
Carbon Dioxide   0 1 no March 18, 1994;
June 8, 1999
Acceptable  
Methyl Formate EcomateTM 0 5 or less yes September 28, 2006 Acceptable  
Electroset Technology   0 N/A N/A August 26, 1994;
June 16, 2010
Acceptable  
Exxsol Blowing Agents Exxsol Blowing Agents 0 5 or less yes December 6, 1999;
June 16, 2010
Acceptable  
Formacel® B Formacel® B 0 140 - 1,500 N/A[2] January 2, 2009;
July 20, 2015;
December 1, 2016
Unacceptable, except where allowed under narrowed use limits for military or space- and aeronautics-related applications, as of January 1, 2021. [3]

Unacceptable for military applications as of January 1, 2022 and for space- and aeronautics-related applications as of January 1, 2025. [3]
 
Formacel® TI Formacel® TI 0 1,330 - 1,500 no September 30, 2009;
July 20, 2015;
December 1, 2016
Unacceptable, except where allowed under narrowed use limits for military or space- and aeronautics-related applications, as of January 1, 2021. [3]

Unacceptable for military applications as of January 1, 2022 and for space- and aeronautics-related applications as of January 1, 2025. [3]
 
Formacel® Z-6 Formacel® Z-6 0 370 - 1,290 N/A[2] August 10, 2012;
July 20, 2015;
December 1, 2016
Unacceptable, except where allowed under narrowed use limits for military or space- and aeronautics-related applications, as of January 1, 2021. [3]

Unacceptable for military applications as of January 1, 2022 and for space- and aeronautics-related applications as of January 1, 2025. [3]
 
HCFC-124   0.022 609 no July 22, 2002 Unacceptable Alternatives exist with lower or zero ODP.
HCFC-141b   0.12 725 no September 30, 2004;
July 20, 2015
Unacceptable Alternatives exist with lower or zero ODP.
HCFC-22, HCFC-142b or blends thereof   >0 N/A no July 22, 2002;
July 20, 2015
Unacceptable Alternatives exist with lower or zero ODP.
HFC-134a   0 1,430 no March 18, 1994;
June 8, 1999;
July 20, 2015;
December 1, 2016
Unacceptable, except where allowed under narrowed use limits for military or space- and aeronautics-related applications, as of January 1, 2021. [3]

Unacceptable for military applications as of January 1, 2022 and for space- and aeronautics-related applications as of January 1, 2025. [3]
 
HFC-143a   0 4,470 yes August 26, 1994 Acceptable  
HFC-152a   0 124 yes March 18, 1994;
June 8, 1999
Acceptable  
HFC-245fa   0 1,030 no December 6, 1999;
August 21, 2003;
July 20, 2015;
December 1, 2016
Unacceptable, except where allowed under narrowed use limits for military or space- and aeronautics-related applications, as of January 1, 2021. [3]

Unacceptable for military applications as of January 1, 2022 and for space- and aeronautics-related applications as of January 1, 2025. [3]
 
HFC-365mfc   0 794 yes September 30, 2009;
June 16, 2010;
July 20, 2015;
December 1, 2016
Unacceptable, except where allowed under narrowed use limits for military or space- and aeronautics-related applications, as of January 1, 2021. [3]

Unacceptable for military applications as of January 1, 2022 and for space- and aeronautics-related applications as of January 1, 2025. [3]
 
HFO-1234ze   0 6 no September 30, 2009 Acceptable  
Blends of 10 to 99 percent by weight HFO–1336mzz(Z) and the remainder HFC–152a   0 3-110 yes December 11, 2020 Acceptable  
Saturated Light Hydrocarbons (C3-C6)   0 3 - 10 yes March 18, 1994;
April 11, 2000;
June 16, 2010
Acceptable  
Water   0 N/A no June 8, 1999 Acceptable  
Blends of 10 to 90 percent HFO-1234ze(E) by weight and the remainder HCFO-1233zd(E) Solstice® XBA-1 <0.00004 to <0.0004 1.3-3.43 yes January 20, 2022 Acceptable  
Blends of 10 to 90 percent HFO-1234ze(E) by weight and the remainder HFC-152a Solstice® XBA-2 0 13-112 yes January 20, 2022 Acceptable  
Blends of zero to 100 percent HFO-1234ze(E), zero to 70 percent methyl formate, zero to 60 percent HFC-152a, zero to 60 percent CO2, and zero to 60 percent water   0 <80 yes January 20, 2022 Acceptable  

1 Use of closed cell foam products and products that contain closed cell foam manufactured with an Unacceptable foam blowing agent prohibited on or before the later of: 1) December 1, 2017, or 2) the date when the foam blowing agent is Unacceptable.

2 Some components and some blends are flammable.

3 As per EPA’s April 27, 2018 guidance (83 FR 18431), based on the court’s partial vacatur, in the near term EPA will not apply these HFC listings in the 2015 Rule, pending a rulemaking.

Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on January 3, 2023
United States Environmental Protection Agency

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