By Ankit Kumar and Arunima Kumar
(Reuters) – Chemours Co’s top boss said on Friday it was prudent to continue investing responsibly in making fluoropolymers, part of the so-called group of “forever chemicals” that can last thousands of years in nature without degrading.
Fluoropolymers comprise a subset of over 9,000 chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). One of the most well-known fluoropolymers is Chemours’ “Teflon” brand – used as a coating in non-stick cookware such as pots and pans.
“The way we think about it, fluorine chemistries are essential and we believe, based on our technology, can be made responsibly,” Chemours CEO Mark Newman said on a call.
His comments come after the European Union on Tuesday started to consider a proposal to ban widely used PFAS in what could become the bloc’s most extensive piece of regulation of the chemical industry.
“We will be very engaged working with our customers, working with the same industries that I just talked to, to make it very clear to regulatory authorities that this is a chemistry that Europe should embrace,” Newman said.
U.S. industrial conglomerate 3M Co in December set a 2025 deadline to stop producing PFAS and expects related total pre-tax charges of about $1.3 billion to $2.3 billion over the course of its exit.
(Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
