－Fluorine Content attributed as 100% “Recycled Circular Fluorite” Based on Mass Balance Credit Allocation－
TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#FFKM–AGC (TOKYO:5201) (AGC Inc., Headquarters: Tokyo; President: Yoshinori Hirai) a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals and other high-tech materials, announces that it has completed a third-party verification*1 based on UL 2809*2 in May 2026 for the fluorine raw materials used in AFLAS™ FFKM. The third-party verification confirmed that, for allocation of recycled content under the mass balance approach*3, 100%*4 of the fluorine content allocated to AFLAS™ FFKM is attributed to recycled fluorite (hereinafter “Recycled Circular Fluorite”). This initiative is among the industry-leading levels*5 of recycled material utilization in fluoroelastomer materials.
AFLAS™ FFKM is an industrial elastomer that offers one of the highest levels of chemical resistance, heat resistance, and plasma resistance among fluorinated elastomers, and is used in a wide range of applications, particularly in the semiconductor manufacturing sector. Its resistance to degradation under harsh conditions makes it suitable for use in sealing materials and O-rings in applications requiring high reliability and durability.
The AGC Group has been working to recycle waste generated at its own plants and utilize it in fluorine products as Recycled Circular Fluorite. In 2025, the AGC Group was the first in the world to complete third-party verification based on UL 2809 for Fluon™ PTFE. With the completion of this verification, the AGC Group has prepared to offer AFLAS™ FFKM as a product that successfully combines high performance with environmental considerations.
After completing this verification, the AGC Group is ready to introduce AFLAS™ FFKM, a product that blends exceptional performance with environmental awareness.
Under its mid-term management plan AGC plus-2026 , the AGC Group identifies “Deepening of Sustainability Management” as one of its key strategies. The Group will continue to actively work toward the realization of a circular economy for fluorine resources.
|
Notes |
|
|
*1 |
This involves a third-party organization verifying the actual use of Recycled Circular Fluorite and evaluating whether the management of raw material credits complies with the relevant regulations based on the mass balance approach specified in UL 2809. |
|
*2 |
UL 2809 (ECV: Environmental Claim Validation): A standard for verifying the content of recycled materials in a product by evaluating it in accordance with the environmental performance verification procedure for recycled material content established by UL Solutions, Inc. in the United States. |
|
*3 |
A method used when manufacturing by blending raw materials with different properties (e.g., Recycled Circular Fluorite and mined fluorite), whereby the properties of the recycled raw materials are “allocated” to a portion of the final product in proportion to the percentage of recycled material used. For example, if 20% Recycled Circular Fluorite is used in the overall manufacturing process, up to 20% of the final product may be designated as “100% Recycled Circular Fluorite”, while the remaining 80% is treated as “0%.” |
|
*4 |
In the chemical composition of AFLAS™ FFKM polymer grades, fluorine atoms account for approximately 73 wt% of the total composition. Based on the mass balance approach, AGC manages the raw materials for this fluorine component such that 100 wt% is derived from recycled materials. The remainder of the composition consists primarily of carbon. |
|
*5 |
Based on AGC’s research (as of May 2026) |
Reference
- You can verify this by searching for “AFLAS” in UL Solutions’ UL-SPOT (https://spot.ul.com/)
- AFLAS™ FFKM Product Information
- For additional information regarding AGC Group’s initiative toward realizing a circular economy for fluorine resources, please refer to our website.
Contacts
Media inquiries
AGC Inc.
Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Division Contact form
https://www.agc.com/en/contact/index.html
