Pet Safety / Compounds / R-23 (Trifluoromethane / HFC-23)

Is R-23 (Trifluoromethane / HFC-23) safe for dogs and cats?

Low risk for pets

Low direct toxicity.

What is r-23 (trifluoromethane / hfc-23)?

Also known as: TRIFLUOROMETHANE, Fluoroform, 75-46-7, Carbon trifluoride.

CAS number
75-46-7
Molecular formula
CHF3
Molecular weight
70.01 g/mol
SMILES
C(F)(F)F
PubChem CID
6373

Risk for dogs

Low risk

Low direct toxicity.

Risk for cats

Low risk

Low direct toxicity.

Regulatory consensus

5 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified R-23 (Trifluoromethane / HFC-23). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
KIGALI AMENDMENT—Subject to HFC phase-down (highest priority due to extreme GWP)
EU F GAS—GWP>2500 — banned in new stationary refrigeration equipment. Byproduct emissions from HCFC-22 production must be destroyed
KYOTO PROTOCOL—Listed as one of 6 categories of greenhouse gases
EPA GHG REPORTING—Mandatory reporting for facilities emitting >25,000 MT CO2e/yr
MONTREAL PROTOCOL—Byproduct destruction mandated under HCFC-22 phase-out provisions

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter r-23 (trifluoromethane / hfc-23)

  • Ultra Low Temp — Pharmaceutical freezers (-80°C), blood banks, vaccine cold chain
  • Semiconductor — Semiconductor fabrication chamber cleaning and etching
  • Fire Suppression — Clean agent fire suppression (Halon replacement) in data centers and telecom facilities
  • Research — Environmental testing chambers, cryogenic applications
  • Byproduct — Unwanted byproduct of R-22 (HCFC-22) manufacturing

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to R-23 (Trifluoromethane / HFC-23):

  • R-508B (R-23/R-116 blend replacements)
    Trade-offs: Zero point-of-use emissions; shifts emissions to power generation (grid-dependent); lower operating cost; higher capital cost; infrastructure requirements (charging, grid capacity); rapidly improving economics.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Cascade CO2 systems
    Trade-offs: Zero point-of-use emissions; shifts emissions to power generation (grid-dependent); lower operating cost; higher capital cost; infrastructure requirements (charging, grid capacity); rapidly improving economics.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Stirling coolers
    Trade-offs: Labor-intensive; effective for small-scale or precision applications; no chemical residues; not scalable to large commercial operations without significant cost increase.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is r-23 (trifluoromethane / hfc-23) safe for pets?

Low direct toxicity.

What products contain r-23 (trifluoromethane / hfc-23)?

R-23 (Trifluoromethane / HFC-23) appears in: Pharmaceutical freezers (-80°C), blood banks, vaccine cold chain (Ultra Low Temp); Semiconductor fabrication chamber cleaning and etching (Semiconductor); Clean agent fire suppression (Halon replacement) in data centers and telecom facilities (Fire Suppression).

Why do regulators disagree about r-23 (trifluoromethane / hfc-23)?

R-23 (Trifluoromethane / HFC-23) has been classified by 5 agencies including KIGALI AMENDMENT, EU F GAS, KYOTO PROTOCOL, EPA GHG REPORTING, MONTREAL PROTOCOL, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See R-23 (Trifluoromethane / HFC-23) in the pets app

Look up products containing r-23 (trifluoromethane / hfc-23), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in pets View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. — expert_curation

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →