CFC

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

CFC
Stands forChlorofluorocarbon
Meanings2
CategoriesScience & Engineering, Religion

CFC has two meanings. It stands for Chlorofluorocarbon (chemistry) or Congregation of Christian Brothers (religious title).

Meanings of CFC at a glance

#CFC stands forContext
1ChlorofluorocarbonScience & Engineering › Chemistry
2Congregation of Christian BrothersReligion › Religious Title

1. Chlorofluorocarbon

Science & Engineering · Chemistry Abbreviations

Compound containing only carbon, chlorine and fluorine, once used widely as refrigerants, aerosol propellants and foam-blowing agents under trade names such as Freon. CFCs drift into the stratosphere, where ultraviolet light frees chlorine atoms that destroy ozone; they are also potent greenhouse gases.

Example: Older refrigerators still contain CFC-12, which must be recovered by a certified technician.

Thomas Midgley Jr. developed CFC refrigerants in 1928. Mario Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland warned in 1974 that CFCs deplete ozone and shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Paul Crutzen; the Antarctic ozone hole was reported in 1985. The 1987 Montreal Protocol phased out CFC production, ending it in developed countries by 1996.

2. Congregation of Christian Brothers

Religion · Religious Title Abbreviations

Irish Christian Brothers, founded in Waterford in 1802 by Blessed Edmund Rice to educate poor boys, use these initials. The congregation became a major provider of Catholic schools in Ireland, Australia, India, Africa and North America.

Example: Br. Edmund Garvey, CFC, taught history at the school for thirty years.

In the US the brothers founded Iona University in New Rochelle, New York. The congregation has faced major inquiries into abuse in Ireland and Australia. It is often confused with the De La Salle Brothers (FSC), a separate French congregation.

More chemistry abbreviations

  • Ac – Acetyl group
  • aq – Aqueous
  • BPA – Bisphenol A
  • CAS – Chemical Abstracts Service
  • CH4 – Methane
  • CO – Carbon monoxide
  • CO2 – Carbon dioxide
  • conc. – Concentrated

See all 106 chemistry abbreviations →

More religious title abbreviations

  • Bp. – Bishop
  • Br. – Brother
  • Can. – Canon
  • Card. – Cardinal
  • CM – Congregation of the Mission
  • CP – Congregation of the Passion
  • CSC – Congregation of Holy Cross
  • CSJ – Congregation of Saint Joseph

See all 60 religious title abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.