Published
August 15, 2024
According to a new economic study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, widespread bans or overregulation of essential chemistries, including PFAS, could have profound impacts on the daily lives of millions of Americans and disrupt the U.S. economy and the national security supply chain.
While we support accelerating the responsible cleanup of PFAS in the environment based on the best science and risk management, we must maintain access to the essential chemistries needed for critical applications Americans rely on every day.
Deep Dive: Sector by Sector
The report examines the dependence on fluorochemistries of seven critical U.S. sectors including:
· Aerospace manufacturing: Essential fluorochemistries are vital to the aerospace manufacturing sector, with critical applications along the value chain, including fuel systems, hydraulic fluids, and high-performance coatings.
· Data Centers: Fluorochemistries, including low global warming potential f-gases, play a critical role in large-scale temperature control at data centers, both through traditional temperature control techniques & through new technologies, such as two-phase immersion cooling (2- PIC).
· Defense equipment and systems: The defense sector relies on essential fluorochemistries due to their unique properties that are needed in the development, production, and operation of critical weapons systems, protective gear, & equipment used by our armed forces.
· The energy transition: Essential fluorochemistries play a crucial role in renewable and clean energy technologies, such as solar panels & wind turbines.
· Health care: Fluoropolymers and f-gases play a crucial role in the health care sector, especially in the production of medical devices, owing to their limited chemical reactivity, strength, low friction, and role as insulators.
· Mobility: Fluorochemistries are essential to our way our life—and to the transportation we use every day. In fact, fluoropolymers are essential in mobility applications, especially in improving the performance and lifespan of various components.
· Semiconductors: Fluorochemistries are used in semiconductor production due to their inertness, cleanliness, low flammability, temperature stability, durability, & other unique performance characteristics.
By the Numbers
All told, more than 6 million workers are employed in these sectors, providing over $2.4 trillion in output and nearly $1 trillion in GDP.
The Bottom Line
Fluorochemistries today are safely used to manufacture equipment and products ranging from airplanes and vehicles to pacemakers and computer chips. It is critical that policymakers do not enact broad PFAS bans or other restrictive regulatory approaches, which threaten availability of these important products.
About the authors
Chuck Chaitovitz
Chuck Chaitovitz is vice president for environmental affairs and sustainability at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
