Document 6Bk2abBLeZE1v1Rg4ebzK7x51
THEFLUOROPOLYMER INDUSTRY IN EUROPE
A SOCIO-ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE
THE FLUOROPOLYMER VALUE CHAIN
Fluoropolymers are polymers with fluorine atoms directly attached to their carbon backbone. They are plastics which are virtually chemically inert, non-wetting, non-stick, and highly resistant to temperature, fire and weather.
Since the discovery of PTFE in 1938, Fluoropolymers have become critical components in numerous technologies, industrial processes and everyday applications. Their use is so widespread that it is a challenge to identify and evaluate the full extent of the socio-economic benefits that they create.
WHERE ARE FLUOROPOLYMERS USED?
Fluoropolymer salesto key sectors in the EU (2015)
Transport
18,500 Tonnes
300 m
Example application and benefit of fluoropolymers
Fluoropolymer fuel hoses enab e fuel savings and reduce damage from em,ss,ons worth 140m per yearin EU
Statistics on sectors where fluoropolymers are used
> 13 m1ll1onemp loyed
Chemicals & power
16,500 Tonnes
220 m
Corros ion prevention savinghundreds of m,11,ons ofeachyearinthe EU
Nearl y 3 mIllIonemployed
Cookware 3,500 GO Tonnes m
Electronics 3,5oo 50 Tonnes m
Food & pharma
3,000 40
Tonnes
m
Easy clean non sti ck properties allows cooking with less fat
Cnt, cal in semiconductor manufacturing enabling progress in IT that has generated
t rillions ofgl oballyin the last 20years
Safer and cheaper food and pharma by
reventing contamination and materia failure
Production val ue In the order of2b1llion
EU semiconductor market worth circa25 billI0n
Nearl y 5 mIllIon employed
Textiles & 3, 000 40 architecture Tonnes m
Enablingnovel and unique landmark' architectural designs
> 2mIllIon employed
Medical
1, 500
20
applications Tonnes m
Renewable 500
<5
energy
Tonnes m
Reduces the nsks of fai lure cross infections and cloggingof med ical equipment
PVmodu le production eff1 c1 ency increases h ,ch save40m 90m each year in the EU
Europe accounts for 41% of global medical devi ce patents Europe leading the g loba market
ininstal el d capacit y
Other
TOTAL
2,000 30
Tonnes
m
52,000 780
Tonnes
m
mports to the EU Sold on the EU market
CAR MANUFACTURING AND AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS IN THE EU
296 automobile assembly and production plants
in26 EU COUNTRIES by 2017
R&D expenses for the automobile sector
amount to 45 BILLION EUROS,
18 MILLION cars, vans, trucks and buses are produced in
ABOUT 260/o of total EU expenses
Europe every year. Of those,16 MILLION are passenger cars
(22% and 20% of global production respectively)
> trade surplus of 100 BILLION EUROS every year
Tax revenues from vehicles in 14 EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES alone were400 BILLION EUROS in 2015
Global production is expected to exceed
100 MILLION VEHICLES of all types by 2017
@, * Applicable
' iSs' !rs
PRODUCERS OF RAW MATERIALS USED IN FWOROPOLYMERS
"Y
PRODUCERS OF FLUOROPOLYMERS
PRODUCERS OF si!'-FINISHm GOODS
The use of fluoropolymers in high-temperature
wire insulation and fuel hoses SAVES 200 MILLION OVER the full lifetime of cars
in Europe.
El
0
Fluoropolymer use in fuel hoses enables FUEL SAVINGS OF 40 MILLION ANNUALLY IN EUROPE.
Production efficiency gains in photovoltaic modules using certain fluoropolymers relative
to glass provides potential YEARLY SAVING OF AROUND 90 MILLION for consumers in the EU.
FAILURE RATES ARE AS LOW AS 0.10/o in recent PV module designs
which use fluoropolymer film-based backsheets, compared to 45% in early backsheet designs.
Annual benefits of fluoropolymers in semiconductor manufacturing are substantial
- estimated in a 2006 study at some 10BN ANNUAL BENEFITS per year.
Fluoropolymer cables maintain CONSTANT OPERATION FOR AT LEAST 20,000H at temperatures ranging from
-190 c to +260 c (depending on which fluoropolymer ).
Fluoropolymers facilitate surgical procedures, helping to shorten their duration and the
patient's risk. Looking at 36 different kinds
of surgical procedures, AT LEAST 20 MILLION take place per year in the EU. A
reduction of just one minute per operation across
the EUwould SAVE AT LEAST 300 MILLION ANNUALLY.
The Fluoropolymers Committee is part of PlasticsEurope, the professional body representing European polymer producers. PlasticsEurope has more than 100 member companies, producing over 90% of all polymers across the EU28 member states plus Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.
DAIKIN
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READ THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE SO CIO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE EUROPEAN FLUOROPOLYMER INDUSTRY WWW.PLASTICSEUROPE.ORG/FLUOROPOLYMERSTUDY
Chemours-
FLUOROPOLYMERS COMMITTEE PLASTICSEUROPE AISBL
Avenue E. van Nieuwenhuyse 4/3 1160 Brussels - Belgium Phone Fax
@plasticseurope.org