2020 annual and sustainable performance report

Focus 3

Kynar^® PVDF

Growth on all fronts for an exceptional material

Extreme durability, extreme resistance to chemicals, UV and fire, ease of implementation… Since its discovery in 1948, the exceptional properties of PVDF fluoropolymer have been used to enhance various applications. Marketed under the Kynar^® name since the early 1960s and produced in Calvert City, Kentucky, it is now one of the leading growth drivers for Arkema, the market’s world leader. Thanks to an ambitious industrial strategy supported by a major innovation drive, the Group has made Kynar® products a powerful performance factor in key areas of the sustainable economy.

Architectural coating

The secret of eternal youth

For more than 50 years, Kynar^® 500 resin has protected the metal structures of countless buildings around the world – including the Louvre Pyramid and Central Court at Wimbledon – from damage caused by weather and pollution. This was the original major market for Kynar® products, which continue to be essential in the architecture sector, achieving ongoing and – importantly – sustainable growth.

Ultrafiltration for water treatment

Kynar^® products combat thirst

Mechanical ultrafiltration systems are increasingly being used in water treatment plants and in portable drinking water kits. These technologies incorporate PVDF filter membranes, for which Arkema supplies specific high-performance hydrophilic Kynar^® grades. Other types of membranes, also made with Kynar^® products, are used in the pharmaceutical industry for the filtration of active ingredients, an application that saw strong growth in 2020.

Li-ion batteries

Central to the development of green mobility

The rise of electric vehicles is a major driver of the global R&D race to improve the performance of Li-ion batteries. Kynar^® PVDF performs essential functions as a binder in electrodes and as a separator film (see also p. 30). This rapidly expanding field, which also includes batteries for smartphones, computers, drones and electric bikes, is now one of the most important markets for Kynar^® solutions.