COMPANY PROFILE / HYDROGEN ENERGY
Chemours
A fluorine chemicals maker whose Nafion membrane sits inside electrolyzers and fuel cells, which has put its hydrogen-related expansion on hold while PFAS rules and lawsuits are in play
Chemours comes up in any discussion of hydrogen because it makes Nafion, a leading brand of the proton-conducting membrane at the heart of PEM water electrolysis and fuel cells. As a company, though, it is not a hydrogen company. Revenue in 2025 was US$5,808 million, mostly from refrigerants (Thermal & Specialized Solutions) and titanium dioxide (Titanium Technologies). Nafion belongs to the Advanced Performance Materials (APM) business, whose revenue was US$1,263 million. Revenue from hydrogen alone is not disclosed. In 2024, after third-party hydrogen market projections fell, it placed its planned Nafion capacity expansion in France on long-term hold (10-K). On PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a restriction proposal is under review in the EU, and this profile describes it neutrally from the company's own disclosures.
- Chemours in 30 seconds, and where it stands in hydrogen energy
- The logo and how the name is written
- Where the company sits in the field
- Scale (centered on what relates to hydrogen)
- Resources committed to hydrogen energy
- What it has done so far
- What comes next
- What the company is aiming for in hydrogen energy
- Map of partnerships in hydrogen energy
- Technologies, products and services
- The risks this company carries
- Glossary, references and claim-to-source audit
1. Chemours in 30 seconds, and where it stands in hydrogen energy
(CC)Per the 10-K
PEM electrolysis and fuel cellsThe same Nafion also serves chlor-alkali and flow batteries
Chemours' hydrogen is a small corner of the business, as a membrane seller. Of US$5.8 billion in revenue, refrigerants were US$2,066 million, titanium dioxide US$2,429 million and APM US$1,263 million, and Nafion is part of the last Sourced. The 10-K calls Nafion membranes "critical components in chlor-alkali processing and flow batteries, as well as the hydrogen electrolyzers and fuel cells", so the same product also serves the existing chlorine industry. In the third quarter of 2024, after third-party industry projections lowered hydrogen demand and slowed growth through 2030, the company put the Nafion expansion it announced in 2022 in France on long-term hold Sourced. At the same time, Nafion is a fluoropolymer, which falls within a broad definition of PFAS, and one of its manufacturing sites, Fayetteville Works, is the subject of lawsuits and settlements over PFAS discharges. This profile sets out the technology's place, the business reality, and the rules and lawsuits, within the limits of the company's disclosures.
2. The logo and how the name is written
A note on names: the legal name is The Chemours Company. Nafion, Teflon, Viton, Krytox, Opteon, Freon and Ti-Pure are product brands, not company names. E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (EID), the former parent, is a different company from today's DuPont de Nemours, Inc. The logo was taken from the company's official website (chemours.com).
Official site: https://www.chemours.com/en/3. Where the company sits in the field
4. Scale (centered on what relates to hydrogen)
Chemours is a chemical maker with three businesses: refrigerants, titanium dioxide and high-performance materials. Hydrogen touches only part of the high-performance materials (APM) business, and revenue from hydrogen alone is not disclosed Sourced. Amounts are in U.S. dollars.
| Item | 2024 | 2025 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue (company-wide) | US$5,782 million | US$5,808 million | 10-K |
| Thermal & Specialized Solutions (refrigerants and others) | US$1,830 million | US$2,066 million | Adjusted EBITDA US$670 million (2025) |
| Titanium Technologies (titanium dioxide) | US$2,572 million | US$2,429 million | Adjusted EBITDA US$145 million |
| Advanced Performance Materials (includes Nafion) | US$1,326 million | US$1,263 million | Adjusted EBITDA US$108 million (US$160 million in 2024). Down 5% (price +3%, volume -8%) |
| Net income (loss) | +US$69 million | -US$386 million | A net loss. No judgment is made |
| R&D expense (company-wide) | US$109 million | US$108 million | The amount for hydrogen alone is not disclosed |
| Capital expenditure (company-wide) | US$360 million | US$213 million | Purchases of property, plant and equipment |
| Employees | - | About 5,700 | 79% in the Americas, 14% in Europe, 7% in Asia Pacific |
In April to June 2026, APM revenue was US$326 million (US$346 million a year earlier), and for the first half (January to June) US$569 million (US$639 million a year earlier), with adjusted EBITDA of US$31 million (10-Q). The company attributes the decline to the closure of the SPS Capstone product line (surface protection) and the effects of the Washington Works outage. The 10-Q's discussion of segment results does not mention hydrogen Sourced.
The revenue and profit above are for the company and its businesses, not for Nafion alone. Even within APM, revenue from hydrogen is not disclosed Not yet confirmed. The 2025 10-K names, among the causes of APM's volume decline, "weakness in cyclical end markets impacting Advanced Materials and products serving hydrogen markets", without breaking down the amount. Nafion membrane production capacity (area or tonnes) is not disclosed either.
5. Resources committed to hydrogen energy
| Resource | What primary sources confirm | Category |
|---|---|---|
| People | About 5,700 employees. Headcount for hydrogen alone is not disclosed. The 10-K's executive biographies record that an internal unit, the Chemours Hydrogen Venture, had a general manager in 2022 and 2023; the current president of APM is that former general manager | Sourced / partly undisclosed |
| Money (R&D and plant) | Company-wide R&D expense was US$108 million (2025), and capital expenditure US$213 million. The Chemours Discovery Hub, its R&D center, is 312,000 square feet on the University of Delaware's Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) campus. Amounts for hydrogen alone are not disclosed. The investment amount for the French expansion announced in 2022 is not stated in the 10-K | Sourced / partly undisclosed |
| Impairment and plan review | In the third quarter of 2024 it wrote off all US$56 million of APM goodwill, citing among other things that third-party projections had lowered hydrogen demand, and put the Nafion expansion on long-term hold. The 2025 10-K also lists delays in hydrogen-related infrastructure among the matters assessed (it found no impairment trigger) | Sourced |
| Investments and joint ventures | THE Mobility F.C. Membranes Company GmbH, a 50/50 joint venture with BWT FUMATECH Mobility GmbH that started operating in 2023. It makes fuel cell and humidifier membranes for mobility customers. Its location, investment and capacity are not stated in the 10-K | Sourced |
| Universities, institutes, public funding | The 10-K says only in general terms that it takes part in industry consortia and works with leading academics. No specific university or project is named, so it was not confirmed. Government grants for hydrogen (for example from the U.S. DOE or EU partnerships) are not mentioned in the 10-K | Not confirmed |
Status of major projects
| Project | Location | Scale | Stage (as confirmed on 5 October 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nafion (ion exchange material) capacity expansion | Villers St. Paul, France | Not disclosed | Announced in 2022. On long-term hold since 2024 (until market conditions improve and require further polymer capacity). The 2025 10-K says the same. It does not say cancelled | References 1, 3, 5 |
| Fuel cell and humidifier membrane joint venture | Location not stated (a GmbH) | Not disclosed | Started operating in 2023. The 10-K mentions no later expansion | References 1, 4, 11 |
| Nafion membrane and dispersion production | Fayetteville Works, North Carolina, U.S. | Not disclosed | In operation (the site makes Nafion membranes and dispersions and fluorinated monomers, among others). The site is also the subject of PFAS discharge litigation and a settlement | References 1, 6 |
6. What it has done so far
| When | What happened | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| July 2015 | Separated from E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (EID) and became independent. It took over the Nafion membrane production units at Fayetteville, among others | The Nafion website says Nafion has more than 50 years of history, so the business predates the separation |
| 2022 | Anticipating growth in the hydrogen economy, it announced a plan to expand Nafion capacity and advance the technology at Villers St. Paul, France. A general manager of the "Chemours Hydrogen Venture" held the post from 2022 to 2023 | The period when it put hydrogen expansion forward |
| 2023 | THE Mobility F.C. Membranes Company (50/50 with BWT FUMATECH Mobility) started operating | Expanding fuel cell and humidifier membranes through a joint venture |
| Q3 2024 | After third-party projections lowered hydrogen demand, it put the Villers expansion on long-term hold and wrote off US$56 million of APM goodwill | It switched hydrogen expansion to "hold" |
| January 2025 | Approved the exit of its SPS Capstone surface-protection business, explaining that regulatory changes and uncertainty reduced demand for telomer-based chemistries | A different product, not Nafion; the company explains that regulatory uncertainty reduced demand (US$52 million of charges in 2025) |
| 2025 | Unscheduled full shutdown at Washington Works because of equipment damage (about US$20 million impact in the third quarter). APM adjusted EBITDA for the year was US$108 million | Weak APM earnings |
| March 2026 | The Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) adopted its opinion on the PFAS restriction proposal, and the Socio-economic Analysis Committee (SEAC) issued a draft opinion (per the company's 10-Q) | The EU review reached a key stage |
| 10 September 2026 | Announced a settlement with the State of North Carolina and 11 local entities: US$455 million in total over 15 years (Chemours' share is 50%, about US$180 million on a net present value basis, already accrued, per the company) | Resolves the main lawsuits over Fayetteville Works. The settlement still awaits court dismissals |
7. What comes next
None of the following appears in the official material checked for this article Not yet confirmed.
Nafion membrane production capacity (area or tonnes) and hydrogen revenue or volumes / the conditions and timing for resuming the Villers expansion, and its original investment amount / the joint venture's location and capacity / public grants for hydrogen / whether the EU PFAS restriction proposal has a derogation for membranes in PEM electrolyzers and fuel cells (ECHA's pages blocked automated access, so this article could not read the text).
8. What the company is aiming for in hydrogen energy
This section separates what the company says directly from what this article reads into it. Inference marks this article's interpretation of primary sources.
| What can be read from it | Primary evidence | Category |
|---|---|---|
| For hydrogen, it has moved from expansion to existing capacity and joint ventures | The Villers expansion is on long-term hold. Mobility membranes are supplied through a 50/50 joint venture. Company-wide capital expenditure fell from US$360 million in 2024 to US$213 million in 2025 | Inference |
| Nafion's business rests on existing uses such as chlor-alkali, not only hydrogen | The 10-K's wording: Nafion membranes are critical in "chlor-alkali processing and flow batteries, as well as" electrolyzers and fuel cells, naming chlor-alkali first | Inference |
| It promotes recovery and reuse of used membranes | nafion.com: a multi-step recycling process for membranes used in chlor-alkali electrolysis, with recycled material whose contaminants meet commercial specifications for virgin material | Sourced (company statement) |
| It gives priority to settling PFAS-related liabilities | The September 2026 announcement frames the settlement as progress under the "long-term" pillar of its Pathway to Thrive strategy, and also cites its investments to reduce emissions at Fayetteville Works | Sourced (company statement) / Inference (priority) |
| Its view of the hydrogen market is cautious | The 2025 10-K lists delays in hydrogen-related infrastructure among matters assessed and names weakness in products serving hydrogen markets as a factor in lower volumes | Sourced |
The reading that "it has moved from expansion to hold" rests on how the wording changes across its 10-Ks. The 2022 and 2023 10-Ks said that, in anticipation of significant growth in the hydrogen economy through 2030, it had announced in 2022 a plan to increase Nafion capacity. The 2024 10-K calls the same expansion "on long-term hold" and gives lower hydrogen demand projections as a reason for writing off US$56 million of goodwill. In the 2025 10-K, hydrogen appears as "one factor in lower volumes" and as "delays in infrastructure" Sourced. From these, this article reads the company as putting off large hydrogen investment until demand is confirmed Inference Not yet confirmed.
9. Map of partnerships in hydrogen energy
10. Technologies, products and services
What Chemours offers to hydrogen is materials, not finished equipment. The Nafion website lists PFSA membranes, dispersions and resins used in water electrolysis, fuel cells, chlor-alkali and energy storage Sourced. The thicknesses below are the manufacturer's nominal thicknesses from nafion.com's product tables.
| Grade (Nafion™) | Form and nominal thickness | Chemically stabilized | Main uses named by the manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| NR211 | Solution cast membrane, 25 µm | Yes | Energy storage, fuel cells |
| NR212 | Solution cast membrane, 50 µm | Yes | Energy storage, fuel cells |
| N115 | Extrusion cast membrane (unreinforced), 127 µm | Yes | Energy storage, hydrogen generation, various electrolytic processes |
| N117 | Extrusion cast membrane (unreinforced), 183 µm | Yes | Energy storage, hydrogen generation, various electrolytic processes |
| N1110 | Extrusion cast membrane (unreinforced), 254 µm | Yes | Hydrogen generation, various electrolytic processes |
| N424 / N438 / N551 | Reinforced membranes (high strength) | No for N424 and N551; yes for N438 | Various electrolytic processes; chlorine from hydrochloric acid (N438); potassium-service chlor-alkali (N551) |
It also offers dispersions (the raw material for solution cast membranes), resins (pellets) and carboxylic membranes for chlor-alkali (nafion.com). Membranes for fuel cells and humidifiers are made for mobility customers by THE Mobility F.C. Membranes Company, the joint venture with BWT FUMATECH Mobility Sourced. For water electrolysis, nafion.com says the membranes work at high current densities and low voltages, over a broad temperature range, and need only water, not caustic chemicals, in the electrolyte (no performance values or test conditions are given). These are the manufacturer's descriptions and do not rank the product against others.
Nafion's own descriptions show how a membrane is chosen. Solution cast membranes (25 to 50 µm) are for uses where low ion transport resistance is critical, while extrusion cast membranes (127 µm and up) are for uses that need high strength or low permeability (crossover) Sourced. That is the classic design trade-off: a thinner membrane lowers resistance but is weaker on gas mixing and mechanical strength, and a thicker one is the reverse (see our explainers on PEM water electrolysis and water electrolyzer stacks and materials). Chemours' material does not show which thickness actual electrolyzer or fuel cell makers adopt, or operating lifetimes under stated conditions Not yet confirmed. The other point is the two faces of fluorine. The 10-K names chemical inertness, thermal stability and corrosion resistance as advantages of its fluoropolymers, which it says make them a material of choice in harsh conditions. The same fully fluorinated backbone is also why they fall within a broad PFAS definition (see our explainer on fluoropolymers and PFAS) Inference.
11. The risks this company carries
| Risk | Detail | Category |
|---|---|---|
| The outlook for hydrogen demand | In 2024, after third-party projections lowered hydrogen demand and slowed growth through 2030, leaving growth beyond 2030 more uncertain, it put the Nafion expansion on long-term hold and wrote off US$56 million of goodwill. In 2025 it again listed delays in hydrogen-related infrastructure among matters assessed | Sourced |
| Weak APM earnings | 2025 adjusted EBITDA was US$108 million (US$160 million the year before; a 9% margin). First-half 2026 revenue was US$569 million, down 11% from US$639 million, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 5% | Sourced |
| The EU PFAS restriction proposal | According to the company, the proposal considers more than 4,000 substances, including F-gases and fluoropolymers. In August 2025 the original full-ban proposal was revised into a background document with several options by use. RAC adopted its opinion in March 2026, SEAC issued a draft opinion, and the consultation ended on 25 May 2026. Final opinions are expected in 2026, after which the European Commission decides; the earliest entry into force is 2027. Whether there is a derogation for membranes in PEM electrolyzers and fuel cells could not be confirmed for this article | Sourced (company description) / Not yet confirmed |
| PFAS litigation and costs | In September 2026 it settled with North Carolina and 11 local entities for US$455 million in total (Chemours bears 50%). Other proceedings and investigations continue (the legal proceedings section of the 10-K). The settlement still needs court steps | Sourced |
| Production concentrated at one site | Nafion membranes and dispersions are made at Fayetteville Works, which is subject to PFAS discharge litigation and the 2019 consent order. The French expansion is on hold | Sourced |
| Plant outages | In 2025 Washington Works had an unscheduled shutdown, which the company says weighed on APM's adjusted EBITDA | Sourced |
| Financial burden | In 2025 it had a net loss of US$386 million and net interest expense of US$269 million. The 10-K says compliance costs for environmental rules will remain significant. No judgment is made | Sourced |
| Competition | For its 2024 decision it cited "competitive intensity" and limited recovery in cyclical end markets. The 10-K names no competitor and makes no comparison | Sourced |
12. Glossary
- PFSA
- Perfluorosulfonic acid: a polymer with sulfonic acid groups on a fully fluorinated backbone, and the main component of Nafion.
- PEM electrolysis / PEFC
- Water electrolysis with a proton exchange membrane, and the fuel cell (polymer electrolyte type) that uses the same kind of membrane.
- Chlor-alkali
- The industry that electrolyzes brine to make chlorine and caustic soda (and hydrogen). One of Nafion's existing main uses.
- PFAS
- A group name for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Definitions differ by jurisdiction; the company says the EU proposal uses a broad structural definition that includes fluoropolymers.
- REACH restriction / RAC / SEAC
- The restriction procedure under the EU's REACH regulation. ECHA's Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) and Socio-economic Analysis Committee (SEAC) give opinions, and the European Commission decides.
- Solution cast / extrusion cast
- Two ways of making membranes: thin films cast from a dispersion, and films melted and extruded.
- Crossover
- Gas such as hydrogen or oxygen leaking through a membrane to the other side.
- Adjusted EBITDA
- A profit measure defined by the company, excluding some costs. Its scope can differ from similarly named measures at other companies.
13. References
- Chemours Form 10-K for the year ended December 2025 (filed 24 February 2026). Business overview, revenue and earnings, the APM business, R&D and capital expenditure, employees, the Nafion expansion hold, PFAS regulation. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm
- Chemours Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 30 June 2026 (filed 5 August 2026). APM results for the first half of 2026 and the status of the EU PFAS restriction review. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000162722326000024/cc-20260630.htm
- Chemours Form 10-K for the year ended December 2024 (filed 18 February 2025). Long-term hold of the Nafion expansion, APM goodwill impairment, exit of SPS Capstone. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000095017025021787/cc-20241231.htm
- Chemours Form 10-K for the year ended December 2023 (filed 27 March 2024). Start of operations at THE Mobility, the Chemours Hydrogen Venture. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000095017024037171/cc-20231231.htm
- Chemours Form 10-K for the year ended December 2022 (filed 10 February 2023). Announcement of the 2022 Nafion expansion plan. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000095017023002467/cc-20221231.htm
- Chemours Press release "Chemours, DuPont and Corteva Reach Agreement to Resolve PFAS-Related Claims in North Carolina" (10 September 2026). https://www.chemours.com/en/news-media-center/all-news/press-releases/2026/chemours-dupont-and-corteva-reach-agreement-to-resolve-pfas-related-claims-in-north-carolina
- Chemours (Nafion) Nafion™ website (home page). Positioning of Nafion membranes, dispersions and resins. https://www.nafion.com/en/
- Chemours (Nafion) Nafion™ website, "Hydrogen Production". Description for water electrolysis. https://www.nafion.com/en/applications/hydrogen-production
- Chemours (Nafion) Nafion™ website, "Fuel Cells". Description for fuel cells. https://www.nafion.com/en/applications/fuel-cells
- Chemours (Nafion) Nafion™ website, "Sulfonic Membranes". Table of PFSA membrane types, thicknesses and uses. https://www.nafion.com/en/products/sulfonic-membranes
- Chemours (Nafion) Nafion™ website, "Sustainability". The THE Mobility joint venture, membrane recycling and wastewater treatment. https://www.nafion.com/en/sustainability
- Chemours Official website (source of the logo image). https://www.chemours.com/en/
14. Claim-to-source audit
| Claim in the article | Category | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Legal name The Chemours Company, Delaware corporation, Wilmington headquarters, NYSE (CC), separated from EID in July 2015 | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm |
| 2025 revenue of US$5,808 million (US$5,782 million in 2024), net loss of US$386 million (net income of US$69 million in 2024), R&D expense of US$108 million, capital expenditure of US$213 million (US$360 million in 2024) | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm |
| Revenue by business (refrigerants 2,066; titanium dioxide 2,429; APM 1,263; US$ million) and adjusted EBITDA (670, 145, 108) | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm |
| APM revenue down 5% in 2025 (price +3%, volume -8%), with weakness in products serving hydrogen markets among the causes of lower volume | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm |
| About 5,700 employees (79% Americas, 14% Europe, 7% Asia Pacific), 28 manufacturing sites, about 2,400 customers, about 110 countries | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm Reference 6 https://www.chemours.com/en/news-media-center/all-news/press-releases/2026/chemours-dupont-and-corteva-reach-agreement-to-resolve-pfas-related-claims-in-north-carolina |
| April to June 2026 APM revenue of US$326 million, first half US$569 million (US$639 million a year earlier), adjusted EBITDA of US$31 million | Sourced | Reference 2 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000162722326000024/cc-20260630.htm |
| Revenue, volume, capacity, headcount, R&D spending and capital expenditure for hydrogen alone | Not yet confirmed | Not found in the material checked for this article. This article does not estimate them. |
| The 10-K's statement that Nafion membranes are critical components in chlor-alkali processing, flow batteries, hydrogen electrolyzers and fuel cells | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm |
| The 2022 announcement of the Nafion expansion (Villers St. Paul, France); investment amount not stated in the 10-K | Sourced | Reference 5 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000095017023002467/cc-20221231.htm Reference 4 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000095017024037171/cc-20231231.htm |
| Long-term hold of the expansion from the third quarter of 2024, APM goodwill impairment of US$56 million, same hold stated in the 2025 10-K | Sourced | Reference 3 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000095017025021787/cc-20241231.htm Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm |
| Conditions and timing for resuming the expansion, and its original investment amount | Not yet confirmed | Not found in the material checked for this article. |
| THE Mobility F.C. Membranes Company GmbH (50/50 with BWT FUMATECH Mobility, started in 2023, fuel cell and humidifier membranes) | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm Reference 4 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000095017024037171/cc-20231231.htm Reference 11 https://www.nafion.com/en/sustainability |
| The joint venture's location, investment and capacity | Not yet confirmed | Not found in the material checked for this article (References 1, 4 and 11). |
| The general manager of the Chemours Hydrogen Venture (2022 to 2023) and the current president of APM | Sourced | Reference 4 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000095017024037171/cc-20231231.htm Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm |
| The Chemours Discovery Hub (312,000 square feet, University of Delaware STAR campus) and general references to consortia and academic collaboration | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm |
| Public grants for hydrogen, and specific university or project names | Not yet confirmed | Not found in the material checked for this article (References 1, 3, 4 and 5). This article does not say they do not exist. |
| Nafion membranes and dispersions are made at Fayetteville Works | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm |
| Nafion product table (nominal thicknesses, chemical stabilization and main uses of NR211, NR212, N115, N117, N1110, N424, N438 and N551) | Sourced | Reference 10 https://www.nafion.com/en/products/sulfonic-membranes |
| Features for water electrolysis (high current density and low voltage, broad temperature range, water-only electrolyte) are the manufacturer's description | Sourced | Reference 8 https://www.nafion.com/en/applications/hydrogen-production |
| Fuel cell description (PEM properties, integrated supply chain), membrane recycling process and wastewater treatment | Sourced | Reference 9 https://www.nafion.com/en/applications/fuel-cells Reference 11 https://www.nafion.com/en/sustainability |
| Course of the EU PFAS restriction (more than 4,000 substances, August 2025 background document, March 2026 RAC opinion, SEAC draft opinion, consultation ended 25 May 2026, earliest entry into force 2027) | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm Reference 2 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000162722326000024/cc-20260630.htm |
| Whether the EU PFAS restriction proposal has a derogation for membranes in PEM electrolyzers and fuel cells | Not yet confirmed | ECHA's pages blocked automated access, so this article could not read the text; the company's documents do not say. |
| Settlement of 10 September 2026 with North Carolina and 11 local entities (US$455 million, 15 years, Chemours' share 50% and about US$180 million on a net present value basis, already accrued) | Sourced | Reference 6 https://www.chemours.com/en/news-media-center/all-news/press-releases/2026/chemours-dupont-and-corteva-reach-agreement-to-resolve-pfas-related-claims-in-north-carolina |
| Exit of SPS Capstone (regulatory uncertainty reduced demand; US$52 million of charges in 2025) | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm Reference 3 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000095017025021787/cc-20241231.htm |
| Unscheduled shutdown at Washington Works (about US$20 million impact in the third quarter of 2025) | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1627223/000119312526065201/cc-20251231.htm |
| The reading that hydrogen has moved from expansion to existing capacity and joint ventures | Inference | This article's interpretation of References 1, 3, 4, 5 and 11. |
| The reading that Nafion's business rests on existing uses such as chlor-alkali, not only hydrogen | Inference | This article's interpretation of the order of wording in Reference 1 (chlor-alkali first). |
| The reading that settling PFAS-related liabilities is a priority | Inference | This article's interpretation of Reference 6 (the settlement framed under the long-term pillar of its strategy). |
| The reading that it moved from expansion to hold (change in wording across the 2022-2023 and 2024-2025 10-Ks) | Inference | This article's interpretation of References 5, 4, 3 and 1. |
| The materials reading (membrane thickness trade-off, the two faces of fluorine) | Inference | This article's interpretation of References 1 and 10. |
| Chemours' type (materials & components) and the classification in Fig. 1 | Our calculation | Our own grouping; company names are examples drawn from the companies covered in this series. |
Last updated 5 October 2026 / Troy Technical
Figures in this article come from Chemours' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Forms 10-K and 10-Q), its official press release of 10 September 2026 and the Nafion™ website. No research-firm market estimates or press-based figures have been used (the third-party hydrogen projections cited in the 10-K are not used either). Passages marked "Inference" are this article's interpretation of primary sources, not statements made by the company. PFAS rules and litigation are described neutrally from the company's disclosures and are not a legal assessment. Company plans and targets are unconfirmed forward-looking statements. This article is not advice on handling or operating hydrogen, which is subject to laws and standards.