Natural refrigerants transform temperature control systems

As laboratories and industrial facilities look to reduce their environmental impact, refrigeration technology is undergoing a significant shift. Responding to tightening international regulations and growing sustainability targets, temperature control specialist Lauda is expanding its range of equipment based on natural refrigerants, bringing climate-friendly cooling solutions to a broader range of laboratory and process applications.

The move builds on the successful introduction of process thermostats using CO₂ refrigerants and the launch of the Universa bath thermostat range, which operates entirely with natural refrigerants. Lauda has now extended the approach across several established product families, including Alpha, Integral, Ultracool, Microcool and Variocool.

Natural refrigerants such as carbon dioxide, propane and propene offer an attractive alternative to conventional fluorinated gases. They combine very low global warming potential with high energy efficiency and can support demanding cooling applications across a wide temperature range. By selecting the most appropriate refrigerant for each product category, Lauda aims to deliver both environmental and operational benefits without compromising performance.

For laboratory users, the latest generation of bath thermostats, circulation chillers and process thermostats offers compact, efficient cooling based on propane refrigerants. Because these systems contain less than 100 g of refrigerant, they can be transported by air and installed without additional safety infrastructure, making them suitable for laboratories worldwide.

Among the latest additions are updated Alpha bath thermostats, which provide an economical entry into temperature control while achieving improved cooling performance below 0°C. The Microcool range now includes a 2 kW model, expanding cooling capacity options while retaining the product line’s magnetic-coupled pump technology. Variocool process thermostats also gain natural refrigerant variants, delivering enhanced low-temperature performance alongside quiet, energy-efficient operation.

For larger-scale industrial and manufacturing environments, Lauda has expanded its Ultracool and Integral platforms with high-performance systems using natural refrigerants including CO₂, propane and propene. These units incorporate integrated safety technologies such as gas monitoring, ventilation and automatic shutdown systems where required.

With regulations accelerating the transition away from high-global-warming refrigerants, the expanded portfolio positions laboratories and manufacturers to adopt more sustainable temperature control technologies while maintaining the reliability and precision demanded by modern research and production environments.

More information online