January 8, 2002 - RATHDRUM, Idaho--After nearly 10 years of examination by the U.S. Patent Office, OZ Technology was granted the patent for refrigerant mixtures of hydrocarbons (HCs) January 8, 2002.

"HC blend patent approval is a sign that the U.S. is finally recognizing that natural, non-toxic earth-friendly hydrocarbon refrigerant blends are the most logical alternatives for refrigerants such as R-12 and HFC-134a," commented OZ CEO Gary Lindgren.

R-12, commonly known as Freon, was banned in the U.S. by international treaty in 1996 for its link to stratospheric ozone depletion. HFC-134a, a greenhouse gas that was internationally embraced as the temporary answer to the Freon ban, was demonstrated by scientists at Wright Patterson AFB in 1998 to be toxic to humans.

Recognizing that the pending Freon ban would create a worldwide demand for non-ozone depleting refrigerants, Lindgren began experimenting with HC blends. Having successfully blended HCs to resolve the environmental problems created by Freon, Lindgren filed for a patent on his HC blend refrigerants in September, 1992. Though Lindgren and his company OZ Technology believed that they had solved the international refrigeration dilemma with HC blends, they encountered regulatory obstacles. "We were just ahead of our time. The world is finally catching onto the many benefits of hydrocarbon blend refrigerants," said Lindgren.

OZ HC blend refrigerant HC-12a, which is compatible with refrigeration and A/C systems designed to accommodate R-12 and HFC-134a, is considered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be a non-ozoen-depleting "second generation replacement." According to the EPA, it is legal to replace a non-ozone depleting first generation alternative refrigerant such as HFC-134a with a non-ozone depleting second generation replacement such as HC-12a manufactured by OZ.

OZ has also been granted patents in the United Kingdom, China and Mexico.

For more information contact Don Harkins at OZ Technology, (208) 255-2307