Operation of Resistive Plate Chamber Detectors with a New Environmentally Friendly Freon

RPC particle gas detectors at CERN provide a vital element to the physics experiments carried out on the LHC. While their current operation and working gas mixtures are successful, environ- mental and economic factors force a revision of the mixture, specifically the eventual replacement of the current Freon gas R134-a with a newer, less environmentally harmful formulation, namely R1234-yf. The methods and results presented here outline the detector response to the introduction of the new Freon and its behavior under various mixtures. The electronegativity and hence impact on RPC parameters was investigated. It was found that the new Freon gas is indeed electroneg- ative, and suppresses the RPC signal. The mixture was modified to include Argon to increase ionization, and the final results of the operation of the RPC were satisfactory. Further work to refine the mixture for future implementation is necessary.