The third-generation phase-out schedule has been determined: the market looks forward to the fourth-generation refrigerant

"The timetable for the phase-out of the third-generation refrigerant HFC series has been determined, but the fourth-generation refrigerant HFO series is currently controlled by patents in Western countries. In order to break the high-tech fourth-generation refrigerant and fluorine-containing materials abroad We must hurry up to develop our products, and time does not wait.” At the Zhejiang Fluorine Materials Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance Council held in Huzhou last month, Secretary-General of Zhejiang Fluorochemical Industry Association, Fluorine Materials Technology Innovation Strategy Zhang Zengying, consultant of the Alliance Secretariat, said.

      Existing problem: Western countries technology blockade

Zhang Zengying pointed out that it is undeniable that Western developed countries are one step ahead of us in this regard, so they do everything possible to prevent us from developing. One of the methods they use is to apply for patents everywhere and use this barrier to block us. Due to the high greenhouse effect value GWP of HFC products, which belong to the scope of greenhouse gas, the "Paris Agreement" and the "Montreal Kigali Amendment" have determined the phase-out timetable for the third-generation refrigerant HFC series products, but they used infringement reasons Let us not develop and apply fourth-generation refrigerants. The third-generation refrigerants and other HFCs that are now produced and sold are facing elimination, and the fourth-generation refrigerant HFO series are controlled by patents in Western countries, and there must be a countermeasure and plan to deal with it. In the early years, DuPont of the United States sued Zhejiang Yonghe Refrigerant Co., Ltd. for mixed refrigerant refrigerants. In the case of unbearable circumstances, Yonghe responded to the lawsuit. After more than a year of trial, DuPont finally conceded and withdrew the lawsuit. Recently, Honeywell of the United States sued Zhejiang Huanxin Fluorine Materials Co., Ltd. on the grounds of HFO-1234yf infringement of intellectual property rights. At present, the company has decided to respond and will not easily admit defeat.

my country's plan to reduce HFC refrigerants will target 10% by 2029, 20% by 2030-2035, 20% by 2036-2040, and 35% by 2041-2045 The cumulative emission reduction target is 10% in 2029, 30% in 2030-2035, 50% in 2036-2040, and 85% in 2041-2045. This is also true for fluorine-containing new materials. High-end technology products are subject to Western choke.

        Insufficient investment, weak corporate innovation ability

Zhang Zengying pointed out that, at present, many domestic chemical products are in the middle and low-end grades, and there is fierce internal competition among peers. As a result, the selling price has fallen, the efficiency has fallen, and the enterprise has difficulties. The innovation ability of the enterprise is not strong, and the development focus is not prominent. Although Zhejiang Province has the National Engineering Technology Research Center for Substitutes for Ozone Depleting Substances and the National Fluorine Material Engineering Technology Research Center, the results of the combination of "learning, research, and production" are not obvious, and the actual R&D capabilities and funding are obviously insufficient to keep up. The pace of international advanced product launch. The Zhejiang Provincial Government’s goal of focusing on the development of new materials such as high-end fluorosilicone polymers and fluorine-containing functional membrane materials to exceed 1 trillion yuan by 2022 is still far away, and some have not even started. There are not many patents for fluorine chemical products with forward-looking independent intellectual property rights.

Fluorine chemical production equipment and control systems need to be upgraded and upgraded. In this respect, multiple related industries also need to work together. Fluorite mining issues. Due to environmental and safety factors, fluorite mining is now strictly controlled. This is the correct measure, but it also exposes that fluorite mining cannot be connected, resulting in a shortage of fluorite mines and rising prices. The problem, how to properly handle its relationship is worth studying.

Government support: the grassroots departments are not strong enough

Zhang Zengying said that some grassroots governments, relevant departments, and economic and technological development zones have insufficient support for fluorine chemical enterprises' fluorine-containing product upgrading projects, and they are afraid of taking responsibility and have an ambiguous attitude. For example: a technical project of a company in Zhejiang is mainly used for the development and production of high-end fluoropolymers. There is no domestic enterprise in this project that has realized the large-scale production of these two types of high-performance fluoropolymers, PFA and ETFE. The smooth implementation of this technical transformation project , Will greatly make up for the vacancy in the domestic market, and conform to the national strategic task and development focus of making high-performance fluorine-containing materials stronger and bigger. As for the supporting fluorine-containing material raw material project, the local safety assessment has been passed, there are no environmental capacity and land acquisition issues, and the process is mature. The original Ministry of Environmental Protection and the World Bank have been filed (indicating that the company's product production capacity is recognized), 2019 It has been about 6 months since it was reported on April 4, and the delay has hindered the development of the enterprise. This is a special case.

Zhang Zengying pointed out that the United States is currently fighting a trade war with my country. In order to break the US blockade on high-tech fourth-generation refrigerants and fluorine-containing materials, we must hurry up to develop our own products. Time is not waiting.