IOL Fluorochemical Weekly Report: Refrigerant Market Continues High Prices, Fluorinated Polymer Prices Under Pressure and Decline

ChinaIOL
Refrigerant: Supply-Demand Tight Balance Coupled with Low Inventory Sustains High Refrigerant Prices
This week, the refrigerant market maintained a tight supply-demand balance with prices remaining stable. Weekly market characteristics:  **Supply Side**:  Supply remained constrained due to quota restrictions, with factories controlling production and prioritizing long-term agreement clients. Spot market supplies were scarce, and industry operating rates stayed around 60%.  **Cost Side**:  Upstream fluorite prices remained strong amid intensified national mine safety inspections, providing robust cost support for AHF. However, dichloromethane prices continued to weaken due to low liquid chlorine levels and weak demand.  **Demand Side**:  Domestic demand for new household air conditioners declined amid factors such as typhoons in South China, subsidy phase-outs, and high channel inventories. Meanwhile, overseas demand benefited from delayed HFC phaseout schedules in the U.S. and Europe, extended lifecycles and replacement cycles for third-generation refrigerants, and activated mobile air conditioner demand from European heatwaves.  **Overall Outlook**:  With downstream air conditioner manufacturers gradually going on holiday and the automotive sector entering its traditional off-season, refrigerant demand weakened. However, under the combined effect of quota constraints and low inventory levels, the refrigerant market is expected to maintain a high-price trend in the short term.

ChinaIOL
Fluorine-containing polymers: Supply-demand pressure drives downward product price trends
This week, the fluoropolymer market faced significant supply-demand pressure, leading to a downward trend in mainstream products. On the cost side, upstream core raw materials such as fluorite powder, hydrofluoric acid, and chloroform maintained firm prices, providing strong cost support. On the supply side, manufacturers adjusted production schedules based on order and inventory levels, with increased load reductions and maintenance shutdowns. On the demand side, the arrival of high temperatures and the rainy season marked the industry's off-season, as end-user companies primarily purchased according to demand. Notably, high-end niche segments showed structural growth, with industries like new energy, advanced semiconductor processes, and AI computing power driving demand expansion for high-value-added fluorine materials. However, short-term production and sales of premium products—such as electronic-grade hydrofluoric acid, high-purity fluorine specialty gases, semiconductor-grade PFA and PTFE, and AI data center liquid cooling fluorinated fluids—remain relatively low. Overall, while upstream cost support remains firm, excessive supply growth has led to pronounced supply-demand imbalances, resulting in continued downward pressure and volatility in product prices.

Weekly news

01Kemu launches R-1234ze and R-515B refrigerants
On August 10th, Chemours officially announced the launch of two new refrigerant products - Optoon - for fixed chiller applications ™ ZE (R-1234ze (E)) and Opteon ™  515B（R-515B）， Further expand its industry-leading Opteon ™ The refrigerant product matrix provides more sustainable cooling solutions with low global warming potential (GWP) for large-scale refrigeration scenarios such as AI driven data centers and commercial HVAC systems. Currently Opteon ™ ZE and Opteon ™ 515B has been launched in some key countries and will gradually expand its global coverage based on market demand.

02Hainan Mining: Strive to form a production capacity of 500000 tons of fluorite equity by 2030
On August 10th, Hainan Mining (601969) officially released the "15th Five Year Plan" strategic plan and 2030 development goal outline, stating that in terms of fluorite business, the goal is to become a "global leading enterprise in fluorite resources", actively integrate high-quality fluorite resources at home and abroad, promote the landing of mineral comprehensive utilization technology, and strive to form a 500000 ton CaF2 equity production capacity by 2030, which will meet the resource demand of upstream fluorite chemical industry for new energy and AI computing power.

03Announcement of Ruyuan Dongyang PVDF Production Capacity Enhancement Project
On August 11th, the Ecology and Environment Bureau of Shaoguan City issued an acceptance notice for the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the PVDF Capacity Enhancement Technical Renovation Project of Ruyuan Dongyangguang Fluororesin Co., Ltd. The project has an investment of 100 million yuan. After the project renovation, the R142b production capacity has been increased from 27000 tons to 45000 tons, with an additional R142b production capacity of 18000 tons per year. The total production capacity of the entire plant is 63000 tons per year; Increase the production capacity of VDF devices by 11000 tons per year; Increase the production capacity of PVDF equipment by 10000 tons per year. Increase the production capacity of PVDF equipment by 10000 tons per year during the project construction period.

04Trial production of the first phase of the leading project of Henan Jinhai hundred billion level fluorosilicon new materials
According to the recent news from the Industry and Information Technology Bureau of Luohe City, in the field of fluorosilicon new materials, Luohe City focuses on relying on the leading project of Jinhai's billion yuan fluorosilicon new materials, and is fully committed to promoting the first phase of production and the second phase of chain product planning and implementation. At present, all 12 sub projects of the Jinhai Phase I project have been completed and trial production will begin in May 2026. The second phase plans 11 sub projects including PVDC, fluororubber, fluororesin, fourth generation refrigerant, and perfluorohexane. The PVDC project has started construction; High end fluororubber and three pre products have completed technical reserves, and are currently undergoing planning and design, equipment inspection, market demonstration, and other work; Six high-end products, including fluororesin, fourth generation refrigerant, and perfluorohexane, have completed laboratory concept validation and research and development trials.