The Chemours Company is a global chemical company headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. It is a leading manufacturer of chemistry that enables innovations from artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced electronics to batteries for electric and low-emissions vehicles, environmentally friendly refrigeration, and more durable coatings for advanced infrastructure.
Since the company’s 2015 founding, Chemours has been focused on three business segments. Can you outline their unique operations and their significance in the portfolio?
The first segment is Titanium Technologies, our largest by revenue. This segment produces titanium dioxide, a white pigment used in paints, laminates, and coatings. The reliability of supply, durability, and quality of our product set us apart in the market, contributing to sustainability by enhancing the lifespan of materials. Essentially, if you see a white wall, car, or piece of furniture, it likely contains our titanium dioxide.
Our second segment is Advanced Performance Materials, which includes specialty fluoropolymers. These high-performance plastics are used in rigorous applications, such as semiconductor production, lithium-ion battery binders, medical devices, and membranes for hydrogen production, fuel cells and energy storage. These materials are indispensable for critical technologies across multiple sectors. Lastly, our Thermal and Specialized Solutions segment focuses on thermal management, including low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants for HVAC systems and data center cooling. We're particularly excited about innovations like our two-phase immersion cooling fluid, which offers a sustainable solution for the growing energy, water, and footprint demands of AI and data centers.
As we enter into 2025, how does Chemours plan to meet intensifying demands for more sustainable operations and products?
We’re observing heightened demand for sustainable solutions across all our segments. Customers are increasingly looking for materials that reduce their environmental footprint, whether through lower emissions or more efficient energy use.
Global trends like decarbonization in air transport, electrification in vehicles, and renewable energy production drive demand for our products. For example, our titanium dioxide is vital for infrastructure coatings that extend the life of bridges and buildings, while our fluoropolymers support critical applications like medical devices and aging population needs.
Partnerships are integral to these efforts. In our 2023 Sustainability Report ‘Partnering for Progress’, we highlighted collaborations across the value chain. These include working with suppliers to reduce Scope 3 emissions and with academic and regulatory bodies to improve mining practices and air and water emission sampling technologies. For instance, we’ve partnered with the EPA on advanced measurement systems to better track and reduce environmental impacts. These are challenges no single company can tackle alone.
Given your extensive experience in sustainable technology, what are the common challenges customers encounter when seeking to adopt sustainable practices?
One major challenge is accurately calculating product carbon footprints. This cradle-to-gate analysis is critical for understanding emissions throughout a product’s lifecycle. However, the process can be complex and sometimes hinder progress when too much focus is placed on precision rather than impactful action.
Scope 3 emissions, which cover indirect emissions across the supply chain, also pose difficulties. Through partnerships and adherence to protocols like the GHG Protocol, we help customers address these challenges. Collaboration and data transparency are vital to ensuring we focus on areas that truly move the needle toward sustainability.
As global scrutiny intensifies, how is Chemours planning to navigate the regulatory challenges around its products, including PFAS?
Chemours supports coherent regulation that is data-driven and based on the best available science. By some definitions, PFAS could include thousands of different compounds that vary significantly in properties, uses, and safety profiles. Unfortunately, some regulatory discussions often fail to account for these differences and lump these compounds together. Such a broad approach is not scientifically sound and would be like regulating olive oil and gasoline the same way because both are hydrocarbons.
Our products are critical to advancing the clean energy transition and decarbonization. How we produce them is equally important, which is why we are committed to responsible manufacturing and delivering against our sustainability goals. Since 2018, we’ve achieved a 59% reduction in fluorinated organic chemical process emissions to air and water as we work to achieve a 99% or greater reduction by 2030. Our sustainability efforts include advanced sampling methods and abatement technologies, ensuring we lead the industry in minimizing environmental impacts.
In light of the recent advancements in technological innovation, what innovations or developments excite you the most?
I’m particularly excited about innovations in two-phase immersion cooling for data centers. This technology can reduce cooling energy needs by up to 90%, nearly eliminate water use, and lower operating costs—all while shrinking physical footprints. Such advancements underscore the powerful intersection of chemistry, AI, and sustainability.
Another area of excitement is battery technology. Our advanced fluoropolymers improve the performance and environmental footprint of lithium-ion batteries by enabling solvent-free manufacturing processes. These innovations highlight how chemistry can deliver win-win solutions: enhancing performance while minimizing environmental impact. At Chemours, we’re committed to maximizing benefits while reducing harm, and advancing sustainability across all sectors we touch.
