Our domestically manufactured fluoropolymers, a class of PFAS, are key to unlocking U.S. dominance through the energy transition
In his memorable 1962 speech announcing that America intended to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade, President John F. Kennedy appealed not only to the nation’s patriotism but also its pragmatism. He outlined the growing opportunity space represented, both in terms of the value of America’s being on the vanguard of a new frontier and the economic potential that would come with new jobs and investments as we embarked on this mission.
Sixty years later, the defining challenge of our time is no longer sending humans into space but instead safeguarding the planet to which our astronauts return.
Just as the space race had a clear goal — putting humans on the moon — so combatting climate change has a clear target of its own: net-zero emissions. The journey to net zero is ushering in a period of seismic shifts — economically, geopolitically, and socially. Through history, such shifts have produced opportunities and challenges, winners, and losers — from the Industrial Revolution to the emergence of the internet and beyond.
The U.S., with its advanced research and development capabilities and plentiful investment capacity, has the potential to harness the move toward clean energy for its benefit. However, a limited domestic supply chain for key component parts, taken in concert with the broader global supply chain challenge, risks limiting the U.S.’s ability to lead the world in clean energy.
Enter Chemours. Our domestically manufactured fluoropolymers, a class of PFAS, are key to unlocking U.S. dominance through the energy transition. Chemours’ products, which range from high-performance seals to prevent leaks in car engines, to the membranes that enable the creation of hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel, are unmatched in critical uses where durability, efficiency and safety are necessary to achieve bold climate goals.
Powering heavy-duty industries with clean hydrogen.
Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe and can be used as an energy source to power and decarbonize high-emitting industries, yet ironically, producing hydrogen today mostly requires the use of fossil fuels. Renewable, or “clean,” hydrogen, if produced on a mass scale, would be emission-free and would dramatically change the face of energy for heavy-duty applications such as trucking, shipping, and aviation, among others.
Pound for pound, hydrogen contains almost three times as much energy as fossil fuels, and it could meet 14% of the U.S.’s energy demand by 2050.
One of the promising technologies for making renewable hydrogen scalable is water electrolysis, and critical to this process is a highly specialized “membrane.” The membrane is at the center of the water electrolyzer and enables renewable sources like wind and solar energy to be used to create clean-burning hydrogen. Chemours is a major U.S. manufacturer of the membrane material, putting us at the center of renewable hydrogen production in the U.S. Our membrane is also used in hydrogen fuel cells, which can be powered by renewable hydrogen.
We produce these membranes responsibly and support the domestic supply chain necessary to meet society’s hydrogen demand.
Chemours is a major U.S. manufacturer of the ionomer membranes at the center of renewable hydrogen production in the U.S.
Enabling electrification of cars through lithium-ion batteries.
Chemours products are also used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries to enable the electrification of cars. In this setting, our fluoropolymers help to facilitate the transfer of electricity within the battery, leading to higher battery energy density and longer vehicle driving ranges, while enabling a more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient manufacturing process.
As electric vehicles proliferate throughout our society, high-quality, high-efficiency batteries will only be more important.
Our clean energy future.
The tremendous potential for renewable energy, including clean hydrogen, remains for the moment untapped, yet the same could have been said sixty years ago when President Kennedy set the country’s sights on space. Meeting the Biden administration’s ambitious climate goals — and securing America’s energy future — depends in part on harnessing renewables. And these goals cannot be realized without companies like Chemours that enable fantastic new, clean technologies. Chemours is playing its part in addressing climate change by powering an energy transition that leads to a cleaner and more prosperous world for all.
