CHEMOURS FRANCE SAS

Their core work

Chemours France SAS is the French industrial arm of The Chemours Company, a global specialty chemicals and fluoropolymer manufacturer. In H2020 research, they contribute industrial materials expertise to proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) development — covering advanced membrane fabrication, membrane electrode assemblies, and full stack component design. Their project work spans both architectural innovation (graphene-coated components, thin reinforced membranes, redesigned flowfields and bipolar plates) and fundamental scientific investigation into why PEMFC performance degrades at high current densities. They function as an industry-side partner that bridges laboratory-scale materials research with the realities of manufacturable fuel cell components.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their first project (DOLPHIN, starting 2019) was engineering-led: build a better fuel cell stack by replacing conventional components with graphene coatings, thinner membranes, and redesigned flowfields. The second project (FURTHER-FC, starting 2020) shifted toward fundamental science: understanding why transport mechanisms break down at high current density by coupling multiscale models with experiments. This progression — from component innovation to physics-level diagnosis — suggests Chemours France is deepening its scientific engagement rather than remaining a pure materials supplier, possibly to inform next-generation product development internally.

Chemours France is moving from engineering better components toward understanding the fundamental transport physics that constrains them, a trajectory that points toward science-informed materials development rather than incremental product upgrades.

How they like to work

Chemours France has participated exclusively as a consortium partner across both projects, never as coordinator — consistent with an industrial materials specialist that contributes targeted know-how rather than driving research programs. With 23 unique partners across 8 countries in only two projects, they operate within the large consortia typical of Horizon 2020 fuel cell RIAs, where a major industrial name adds credibility and supply-chain relevance. This suggests they are selective partners, brought in for specific material and process expertise rather than for project management capacity.

Despite only two projects, Chemours France has connected with 23 unique partners spanning 8 countries — a broad network reflecting the multi-institutional consortia structure of European fuel cell research programs. Their partners likely include major PEMFC research institutes and automotive or energy companies from across Northern and Western Europe.

What sets them apart

Chemours France brings industrial-scale fluoropolymer and membrane manufacturing capability directly into academic R&D consortia — a combination most university or SME partners cannot provide. Their presence in a consortium signals access to advanced membrane materials and process know-how that is a genuine bottleneck for scaling PEMFC technology beyond the lab. For project coordinators, they represent a direct bridge between research outcomes and industrial material supply chains, which strengthens both the science and the commercial exploitation case.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DOLPHIN
  One of the most component-intensive PEMFC stack redesign projects in H2020, targeting simultaneous breakthroughs in graphene coatings, membrane thinness, flowfield geometry, and bipolar plate materials within a single disruptive architecture.
• FURTHER-FC
  A multiscale scientific investigation into PEMFC transport limitations at high current density — directly relevant to the efficiency gap that is blocking commercial hydrogen vehicle deployment at scale.