Fluorochemicals and refrigerants: Overview
Where refrigerants go: homes, cars and supermarket fridges
What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.Fluorochemicals are made by reacting hydrogen fluoride with chlorinated hydrocarbons. The largest products are refrigerant gases for air conditioners, fridges and cars: HCFC-22, HFC-32, HFC-134a, HFC-125 and the newer low-warming HFOs. Fluorocarbons take 55-60% of the world's roughly 3 Mt of HF (hydrofluoric acid tile). The rest of the family is fluorinated intermediates for agrochemicals, drugs and batteries. HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases, so the 2016 Kigali Amendment caps and cuts them. Quotas have turned a glut into a high-margin business for Chinese and Indian producers such as Juhua, SRF and Navin Fluorine.
Volume about 2.5-3 Mt of fluorocarbons a year (indicative, basis: about 1.65 Mt HF to fluorocarbons at about 0.5-0.8 t HF per t product) Market value about $15-25 billion for fluorocarbon gases (indicative, basis: about 2.5 Mt at $6,000-9,000/t; China R32 was RMB 62,500/t, about $8,700/t, in June 2026) Growth volume capped by Kigali quotas; value rising with quota scarcity and the shift to HFOs (indicative) hydrofluoric acid tile (Eurofluor via IMARC; Fairfield 2025); 36Kr (Jun 2026); derived and indicativeKey uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stationary air conditioning (R32, R410A, R22) | 35% | about 0.95 Mtbasis | Split air conditioners and heat pumps need a refrigerant with the right pressure, efficiency and safety. R32 (GWP 675) has replaced R410A (GWP 2,088) and R22 in most new Asian units since Daikin's 2012 launch. indicative share; GWPs from IPCC AR4 as used under Kigali | propane (R290) CO2 (R744) heat pumps HFO blends such as R454B |
| Mobile air conditioning (R134a, R1234yf) | 12% | about 0.33 Mtbasis | Car air conditioning used R134a (GWP 1,430); the EU MAC Directive and US rules moved new cars to HFO-1234yf (GWP below 1 in AR5). indicative share | CO2 systems (some German models) heat pumps in EVs using R1234yf or R744 |
| Commercial and industrial refrigeration (R404A, R448A, R134a) | 13% | about 0.36 Mtbasis | Supermarket cabinets, cold rooms and transport refrigeration. Leak rates are high, so these uses face the fastest phase-down. indicative share | CO2 transcritical systems ammonia hydrocarbons |
| Fluoropolymer feedstock (HCFC-22, HCFC-142b) | 15% | about 0.4 Mtbasis | HCFC-22 is pyrolysed to tetrafluoroethylene for PTFE (about 1.7-2.0 t R22 per t PTFE, fluoropolymers tile). Feedstock use is exempt from the Montreal Protocol phase-out. fluoropolymers tile; share indicative | none at scale for PTFE |
| Foam blowing agents (HFC-245fa, HFO-1233zd, HFO-1336mzz) | 8% | about 0.22 Mtbasis | Insulating foams for buildings and fridges need low-conductivity gases trapped in cells; HFOs replace HFCs. indicative share | cyclopentane CO2 and water blowing |
| Fluorinated specialty intermediates (agro, pharma, battery) | 10% | about 0.28 Mtbasis | About a quarter to a third of new agrochemicals and many drugs contain fluorine (indicative); trifluoromethyl and difluoromethyl building blocks and LiPF6 for battery electrolytes come from HF chemistry. indicative | non-fluorinated molecules where activity allows |
| Aerosols, medical inhalers, solvents and fire suppression | 7% | about 0.19 Mtbasis | HFC-134a and HFC-227ea propel metered-dose inhalers; HFC-227ea and FK-5-1-12 protect data centres; fluorinated solvents clean electronics. indicative share | HFC-152a and HFO-1234ze inhalers dry powder inhalers inert gas systems |
From raw material to user
- Fluorspar to HF About 2.1 t acid-grade fluorspar and 2.6 t sulphuric acid per t HF; China holds about 60% of fluorspar mining (hydrofluoric acid tile; USGS 2026).
- Chlorinated feedstocks Chloroform, methylene chloride, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene from methane or methanol and chlorine; about 1.6 t methylene chloride per t R32 (stoichiometric).
- Fluorination Liquid-phase (antimony catalyst) or gas-phase (chromium catalyst) swapping of chlorine for fluorine; each t of R32 releases about 1.4 t HCl (stoichiometric).
- Purification and blending Distillation to at least 99.5-99.9%; blends such as R410A (50% R32, 50% R125) are mixed and filled into cylinders and ISO tanks.
- Equipment and service Factory charge of air conditioners and cars, then decades of top-ups to replace leaks; recovery at end of life is still low in most countries.
Made from (commodity table)
F FluorsparThree things to know
- China's ex-factory R32 price was RMB 62,500/t on 12 June 2026, up 34% in a year and almost five times the 2023 low of about RMB 13,000/t, after HFC quotas took effect (36Kr, Jun 2026).
- HFC-23, a by-product of HCFC-22 with a GWP of about 14,700, was emitted at 14.0 Gg in 2023, about 0.2 Gt CO2e and many times reported levels (Adam et al., Communications Earth & Environment 2024; EGU 2025).
- India freezes HFCs in 2028 under Kigali; SRF calls 2027 a 'free year' and is building a 20 kt/yr HFO plant in Odisha for about Rs 2,300 crore, due around February 2028 (SRF FY2026).