I believe you have seen and heard many PVDF and lithium hexafluorophosphate projects in recent years. Some are built by fluorine chemical companies, and some are cross-border investments by outside companies. The successive commissioning of these projects has made the supply and demand relationship of PVDF and lithium hexafluorophosphate rapid. Changes have occurred, and its market prices have also fluctuated sharply, and the industry sentiment is very pessimistic.

However, there are a wide variety of fluorine chemical products. In addition to fluorine-containing lithium battery materials, many other products also have excellent application prospects, including hexafluorobutadiene, chlorine trifluoride, carbonyl fluoride, and fluorine-containing polyimide. , polychlorotrifluoroethylene, fusible polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluorosulfonic acid resin, hydrofluoroether, perfluoropolyether, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, etc. This article will take you to learn about some of the more promising fluorine Chemical Products.

01 Hexafluorobutadiene

Hexafluorobutadiene, also known as perfluorobutadiene, hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene, or HFBD for short, is a double-bonded, fully fluorinated compound with a molecular formula of C4F6. Hexafluorobutadiene is an important raw material for synthetic resins and fluorine-containing substances. It can also be used as an etching gas in the semiconductor industry, with the advantages of good selectivity and high precision.

In addition, the GWP of hexafluorobutadiene is only 0.004, and its lifetime in the atmosphere is less than 2 days. It has a very small greenhouse effect. It is a green, environmentally friendly and very marketable perfluoride gas. In recent years, hexafluorobutadiene has become one of the most likely candidates to replace traditional fluorine-containing etching gases due to its excellent etching selectivity, high precision, and easy decomposition in the atmosphere.

Hexafluorobutadiene is one of the new generation of fluorine-containing etching gases currently discovered that can meet the development requirements of etching technology and minimize its impact on the environment. It has broad application prospects. However, the current high-purity hexafluorobutadiene market is still occupied by foreign companies such as Showa Denko, Hosei Chemicals, Merck Group, Linde Gas, and Air Liquide. my country's market demand mainly relies on imports.

In recent years, in the face of increasingly strict semiconductor blockades in Western countries and the growing domestic market demand for fluorine-containing special gases, domestic companies have accelerated their deployment of hexafluorobutadiene, and some companies have broken through industrialization barriers, including China Juxin, Sinochem Blue Sky, CSSC Special Gas, Jinshi Fluorine Industry, Nanda Optoelectronics, etc.

02 fusible polytetrafluoroethylene

PFA is a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether (PAVE). Because its properties are similar to those of polytetrafluoroethylene, and it can be processed using thermoplastic resin processing methods, it is also called fusible. Polytetrafluoroethylene.

1~10% perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether in the PFA molecule significantly improves the flexibility of the polymer chain and reduces the crystallinity, giving PFA good thermoplasticity and overcoming the shortcomings of PTFE being difficult to process. It can be used with general thermoplastics It is processed by the molding process. Its long-term use temperature is the same as PTFE, and its mechanical properties at high temperatures are better than PTFE.

At the same time, PFA has the excellent chemical corrosion resistance of PTFE, excellent heat resistance, low friction coefficient, self-lubricating, flame retardant, waterproof and other properties. It can be made into anti-corrosion coatings, anti-aging coatings, special filter fibers, reaction Kettle linings, pipe linings, optical cable sheaths, aerospace equipment, etc. are widely used in construction, chemical industry, machinery, electrical, aerospace, medical and many other fields.

At present, the main overseas suppliers of PFA are Chemours, Solvay, Daikin, 3M, AGC, etc., with a market share of nearly 90%. There are relatively few companies producing PFA in China, including Dongyue Group, Yonghe Group, Juhua Group, etc. 

03 Perfluorosulfonic acid resin

In recent years, benefiting from multiple factors such as policy support, technological progress, cost reduction and market demand, the hydrogen fuel cell market has shown rapid growth both at home and abroad, which will drive rapid growth in demand for related materials.

Proton exchange membrane is one of the core materials of hydrogen fuel cells. The performance of the membrane directly determines the performance and service life of hydrogen fuel cells. According to the fluorine content, proton exchange membranes can be divided into perfluorinated proton exchange membranes such as perfluorosulfonic acid membranes, partially fluorinated proton exchange membranes such as polyvinylidene fluoride radiation graft membranes, and fluorine-free proton exchange membranes such as polybenzimidazole membranes.

At present, perfluorosulfonic acid proton exchange membrane is the only proton exchange membrane that has been successfully commercialized and actually used in the market. The raw materials for preparing perfluorosulfonic acid resin are mainly tetrafluoroethylene, perfluorosulfonyl vinyl ether monomer (PSVE), etc., whether it is the preparation of PSVE, the polymerization of perfluorosulfonic acid resin, or the film formation of perfluorosulfonic acid resin. There are extremely high technical barriers, so there are not many companies with the production capacity of perfluorosulfonic acid resin globally, and the production capacity is mainly concentrated in companies such as Chemours, Solvay, 3M, and Gore of the United States.

My country's research on perfluorosulfonic acid resin started not late. In the 1970s, the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, carried out research on the synthesis and polymerization of important monomers of perfluorosulfonic acid resin, and even carried out research on polymer membranes. Research on modification has been carried out, but unfortunately, large-scale production has not yet been achieved.

Domestic perfluorosulfonic acid resin manufacturers include Dongyue Group, Shanghai Sanaifu, Juhua Group, Suzhou Kerun, etc. However, except for Dongyue Group, most other companies do not have the capacity to supply perfluorosulfonic acid resin in batches. Therefore, our country The supply capacity of perfluorosulfonic acid resin is insufficient, and market demand relies heavily on imports. In the future, there will be greater room for domestic substitution of perfluorosulfonic acid resin.

04 Ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer

ETFE is the strongest fluoroplastic so far. While maintaining the good heat resistance, chemical resistance and electrical insulation properties of polytetrafluoroethylene, its radiation resistance and mechanical properties have been greatly improved, and its tensile strength has been greatly improved. It can reach 50MPa, which is nearly twice that of polytetrafluoroethylene. More importantly, its processing performance is greatly improved, especially its outstanding adhesion to the metal surface, which enables the tight lining process of fluoroplastics and steel to be truly realized.

ETFE not only has excellent impact resistance, electrical conductivity, thermal stability and chemical corrosion resistance, but also has high mechanical strength and good processing performance. It is widely used in chemical industry, electronic communications, equipment manufacturing, aerospace and other fields.

For a long time, ETFE has been monopolized by foreign manufacturers such as AGC, Daikin, Chemours, and 3M. Chinese scientists began research and development in the 1970s, but have not made substantial progress. Domestic demand for ETFE resin products is almost 100% dependent on it. Imports, and foreign countries have implemented embargoes on special ETFE resins needed in my country's Military Industry and National Defense and large aircraft fields, causing ETFE resin to become an important bottleneck restricting the application and development of my country's special fields.

At present, domestic manufacturers have achieved zero breakthroughs and are increasing their ETFE production capacity layout. Companies with production capabilities mainly include Dongyue Group, Juhua Co., Ltd., etc.

05 Fluorinated polyimide

Fluorinated polyimide (FPI) refers to a rigid polymer with a highly regular chemical structure containing imide rings in the main chain. It is produced by melt polycondensation or solution polycondensation reaction of fluorinated dianhydride and fluorinated diamine. Polyamic acid (FPAA) is a polymer material obtained by imidization. Compared with traditional PI, FPI inherits the characteristics of traditional PI such as high strength, high temperature resistance, deformation resistance, and bending resistance, and has the characteristics of good transparency, good electrical insulation, and low dielectric constant.

According to the chemical structure, FPI can be divided into diphenyl ether type FPI, benzene type FPI, benzophenone type FPI, and biphenyl type FPI; according to the performance, it can be divided into fluorine-containing polyetherimide (FPEI), fluorine-containing polyamide imide Amine (FPAI), etc.; according to the fluorine-containing group, it can be divided into two types: fully fluorinated PI and partially fluorinated PI.

In recent years, FPI has been applied in high-end fields including flexible OLED displays and electronic device cooling. Market demand continues to rise. However, FPI core technology is still concentrated in countries such as the United States and Japan. About 90% of the world's FPI is produced in Japan. FPI production technology is complex and requires many types of raw materials. Currently, domestic monomer raw materials with lower technical barriers, such as biphenyltetracarboxylic acid di-BPDA and pyromellitic acid dianhydride PMDA, have been produced on a large scale; for more special single , such as hexafluorodianhydride 6FDA, has gradually broken the monopoly of foreign companies. However, few companies have production capabilities for FPI resin. Some companies, including Shandong Zhongrou and Sanaifu, are promoting FPI industrialization.

06 Hydrofluoroether

Hydrofluoroethers are compounds composed of hydrogen, fluorine, oxygen and carbon atoms. They have an ether structure. Their ozone depletion potential (ODP) is zero, their global warming potential coefficient (GWP) is low, and their atmospheric residence time is very short. They are considered ideal CFCs. alternatives. In addition to excellent environmental properties, hydrofluoroethers also have the best thermal and chemical stability, moderate solubility, low toxicity, non-corrosive, non-flammable, non-smoking, good material compatibility, etc., and are easy to store and transportation.

Due to its excellent insulation, chemical inertness, low surface tension, good volatility, and good compatibility with organic solvents, hydrofluoroether has excellent compatibility with component materials used in semiconductor, chip, and liquid crystal manufacturing industries, so it is widely used in electronics. Cleaning agent is the original use of hydrofluoroether, and it is also one of the main applications at present. In addition, hydrofluoroether can also be used in coolant, anti-fingerprint agent diluent, foaming agent and other fields.

At present, domestic companies with hydrofluoroether production capabilities mainly include Dongyue Group, Juhua Co., Ltd., Shandong Huafu, Quanzhou Yuji, Zhejiang Noah, etc.

07 Ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer

ECTFE is a copolymer of ethylene and chlorotrifluoroethylene, which has extraordinary corrosion resistance to most inorganic and organic chemicals and organic solvents. Until now, except for chlorinated molten alkali or hot amines (such as aniline, dimethylamine), no solvent can corrode ECTFE below 120°C.

Compared with other thermoplastics, ECTFE's resistance to chlorine and chlorine derivatives at high temperatures is particularly outstanding. ECTFE has excellent corrosion resistance, extremely low permeability, excellent electrical properties and extremely smooth surface, and can be used safely in temperatures ranging from low to 149°C.

ECTFE not only has outstanding impact resistance, but also is a tough material with considerable mechanical strength. The surface of ECTFE products, similar to glass, prevents the growth of microorganisms, providing obvious hygienic advantages. Due to these excellent properties, ECTFE is widely used in chemical industry, petroleum drainage, washing, sewage treatment systems, chemical distribution systems and chemical cleaning systems of equipment.

It is understood that currently only Solvay is producing ECTFE in the world, and there is basically no large-scale production capacity in China.

08 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene

R1234yf, also known as HFO-1234yf, the chemical name is 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, has zero ODP and low GWP, and has good refrigeration effect. It is one of the most popular ODS substitutes and is known as As the fourth generation refrigerant with the most commercial prospects, it is currently mainly used in the field of automotive air conditioning, and the market demand continues to expand.

Prior to this, the refrigerant for automobile air conditioners mainly used R134a. R134a is a third-generation hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs) refrigerant with zero ODP, but has a high GWP and obvious greenhouse effect. As environmental protection requirements increase, it will be gradually phased out. Compared with R134a, R1234yf has lower GWP, similar physical and chemical properties, and the same atmospheric decomposition products. It can be used in the original vehicle air conditioning system. It is the most potential new refrigerant product to replace R134a and has been used in many cars.

European regulations have banned the use of refrigerants with a GWP >150 in new cars produced and sold within the country since 2017. R134a has been banned in European automobiles.