In the industrial cleaning agents, solvents, and cooling fluids sectors, the global market has long been dominated by international giants such as 3M (e.g., Novec™ 7100), Chemours (Krytox®), and Solvay (Galden®/Fomblin®). These companies have built near-monopolistic market structures through deep technical accumulation and robust patent barriers. Take 3M’s Novec™ 7100 as an example: Novec™ 7100 boasts several breakthrough characteristics. With a zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and a global warming potential (GWP) of just 540—far superior to traditional solvents—it also offers an exceptionally high time-weighted average exposure limit (TWA) of 750 ppm, ensuring safe industrial operation. Its high boiling point (49°C) and extremely low surface tension (13.6 mN/m) make it indispensable for precision cleaning in semiconductor manufacturing and degreasing in aerospace component maintenance.
Market analysis shows that although fluorinated fluid products represent only 15% of the global industrial solvents market by volume, they account for over 40% of the profits. However, such technological monopolies pose significant risks: the shutdown of 3M’s Belgium plant in 2022 caused Novec™ prices to skyrocket by 300%, exposing the fragility of a single-source supply chain. Compounding the issue, new U.S. export control regulations have placed certain fluorinated fluids on the Commerce Control List (CCL), further intensifying global supply chain uncertainty.
Watson International’s Disruptive Strategy
The ChemWhat® brand, under multinational chemical group Watson International Limited, is spearheading a revolution in the high-end industrial cleaning agent market through disruptive technological innovation. Its newly developed ChemWhat®522408 cleaner not only surpasses 3M’s Novec™ 7100 in precision cleaning performance but also significantly reduces cost, offering a game-changing alternative for the industry.
ChemWhat®522408 achieves its core technological breakthroughs across multiple dimensions. Firstly, by introducing patented isomer ratio control technology, the R&D team has precisely tuned the boiling point into an optimal range—ensuring cleaning efficiency while dramatically improving solvent recovery rates. Secondly, the product utilizes a proprietary surfactant blend system that greatly enhances penetration into micron-scale pores.
In terms of environmental performance, ChemWhat®522408 also excels Novec™ 7100. With a GWP below 350—significantly lower than the industry average—and being completely free from PFAS and other persistent organic pollutants, the product complies fully with EU REACH regulations and the latest U.S. TSCA requirements, offering users robust environmental compliance support.
Expanding the Product Matrix
In addition to breakthroughs in industrial cleaning agents, ChemWhat® has strategically expanded into perfluoropolyether (PFPE) cooling fluids—a move directly targeting the thermal management challenges of electronic devices and high-load machinery. Compared to benchmark products from industry leaders like Solvay, ChemWhat®’s PFPE cooling fluids deliver innovative advancements across several key dimensions, reshaping the global high-end cooling fluid market.
ChemWhat® PFPE cooling fluids demonstrate significant breakthroughs in thermal stability. Thanks to unique molecular structural designs, performance degradation under high temperatures is greatly reduced, ensuring long-term operational stability. The product also exhibits outstanding dielectric properties, meeting the most demanding electronic cooling requirements. Notably, these performance gains are achieved without compromising on sustainability, with the product reaching industry-leading levels of environmental responsibility.
In the field of data center immersion cooling, ChemWhat® PFPE cooling fluids showcase distinct advantages. Their excellent material compatibility ensures safe and efficient cooling for delicate electronic components such as server motherboards and GPU arrays. In advanced manufacturing, the product successfully addresses the thermal management needs of high-load machinery under extreme operating conditions, providing dependable solutions for 5G base stations, industrial robotics, and other critical equipment.
ChemWhat® is pursuing a differentiated market strategy by targeting the weaker areas of Solvay’s traditional strongholds. In the Asia-Pacific region, local production significantly reduces supply chain costs; in Europe, superior environmental certifications are opening new market doors. Particularly in the thermal management of new energy vehicle (NEV) powertrain systems, ChemWhat®’s products have passed rigorous testing by several leading automotive manufacturers and are shaping a new industry standard.
ChemWhat® is also developing next-generation smart cooling solutions that integrate real-time monitoring technologies with adaptive cooling systems. This innovation is poised to further consolidate its leadership in high-end thermal management, offering critical support for intelligent manufacturing in the Industry 4.0 era. As global demand for efficient thermal management continues to rise, ChemWhat® PFPE cooling fluids are rapidly becoming the preferred solution for an increasing number of high-end manufacturers.
Future Growth
With global manufacturing’s demand for high-performance fluorinated fluids steadily increasing, ChemWhat® is opening a new chapter in the global fluorochemicals market through its full-industry-chain layout and technological innovation. Backed by Watson International’s strong R&D capabilities and global production capacity, ChemWhat® has built a comprehensive product matrix—from industrial cleaners to specialty cooling fluids—demonstrating robust market competitiveness. In the cleaning domain, innovative products like ChemWhat®522408 have broken the technological monopoly of global giants in high-end markets; in thermal management, the PFPE cooling fluid series is redefining industry standards with its exceptional performance. This dual-engine growth model enables ChemWhat® to seize emerging opportunities across sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing, new energy vehicles, and data centers.
Looking ahead, ChemWhat® will continue to deepen its “innovation-driven + localized service” development strategy. On one hand, it will increase R&D investment to tackle cutting-edge areas such as electronic-grade fluorochemicals and eco-friendly fluorinated materials; on the other, it will accelerate global production capacity deployment, aiming to establish manufacturing networks across Asia, Europe, and North America within the next three years. According to industry experts, as its product portfolio expands and market penetration improves, ChemWhat® is expected to capture over 15% of the global fluorochemicals market—an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars—emerging as a transformative force in reshaping market dynamics.
This series of strategic initiatives not only highlights ChemWhat®’s ambition to become a world-class fluorochemicals brand, but also drives the industry toward a more efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective future. In the context of global industrial transformation and upgrading, ChemWhat®’s innovation-driven approach is injecting new vitality into the development of the entire sector.
