Hexafluo's Perfluoroisobutyronitrile: Empowering a New Era of Environmental Protection for Power Equipment
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2025-11-18 15:01
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A set of silver-colored Gas-Insulated Metal-Enclosed Transmission Lines (GIL) is operating steadily in the equipment area of the 500kV Rongsheng Substation in Anqing, Anhui Province . Different from the traditional equipment, the insulating gas filled inside this device is not sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), which has been used in the power industry for decades—but a perfluoroisobutyronitrile (C4F7N) gas mixture independently developed by Hexafluo, a core member of Capchem .
"It not only matches conventional SF6 gas-insulated transmission lines in 'same size, same parameters, same performance' but, more importantly, it reduces the greenhouse effect by 97% compared to SF6." An engineer highlighted the core value of this eco-friendly insulating gas. Amid the global tide of actively addressing climate change and vigorously advancing the "dual carbon" goals, Hexafluo is leveraging technological innovation to help break the environmental constraints of the power industry and propel power equipment into a new green era.
Dilemma: The Environmental Pain Point of the Power Industry
Electric power serves as the "main artery" of the energy system, while insulating gas constitutes the "safety barrier" for this artery—it quenches arcs and ensures the stable operation of transmission and transformation equipment under high-voltage, high-density power supply conditions. For a long time, SF6 has been the preferred material in the industry due to its excellent insulation and arc-extinguishing performance. However, its critical shortcomings cannot be ignored: it has an atmospheric lifetime of up to 3,200 years and a Global Warming Potential (GWP) as high as 23,500—1 ton of SF6 has a greenhouse effect equivalent to 23,500 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), making it one of the greenhouse gases explicitly targeted for control under the Kyoto Protocol. With the advancement of global "dual carbon" goals and the upgrading of power systems towards higher voltage and density, finding an alternative material that "balances safety with environmental protection" has become an imperative for the industry's green transformation.
Breakthrough: From Laboratory Innovation to Industrialization
Perfluoroisobutyronitrile is widely recognized as the optimal alternative to SF6. In terms of performance, the insulation strength of perfluoroisobutyronitrile is approximately 2.2 times that of SF6, providing more reliable insulation protection for power equipment and significantly enhancing the stability and safety of equipment operation. Environmentally, the GWP of its gas mixture is less than 2% of that of SF6, and replacing 10,000 tons of SF6 with C4F7N gas mixture can reduce annual emissions by over 200 million tons of CO2 equivalent.
As a core member of Capchem specializing in the R&D of fluorine-containing materials, Hexafluo takes "solving industry pain points" as its mission, overcomes critical challenges, achieves full-chain breakthroughs based on profound technical accumulation, and launches environmentally friendly insulation solutions featuring "high performance+low environmental impact". From technological breakthrough to industrialization, Hexafluo's progress has been clear and determined: independently developed the synthesis route in 2021; achieved pilot-scale amplification and optimized the production process in 2022; successfully put into operation the world's first kiloton-scale industrial production line for perfluoroisobutyronitrile in 2023, marking Hexafluo's official breakthrough in the bottleneck of large-scale production of perfluoroisobutyronitrile and realizing large-scale, stable supply of the product; obtained the regular registration for environmental management of new chemical substances for perfluoroisobutyronitrile approved by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in 2024, the first such approval in China; in 2025, the China Electrotechnical Society conducted a scientific and technological achievement appraisal on Hexafluo's project "Independent R&D and Application of Environmentally Friendly Power Insulating Gases and Power Transmission and Distribution Equipment", which was recognized as having an overall technology at the international leading level.
Implementation: Multi-Scenario Verification of Green Applications
Hexafluo has independently developed green production processes and mastered multi-component, multi-phase perfluoroisobutyronitrile gas mixing technology. It not only provides customized environmentally friendly insulating gas solutions for different application scenarios such as ultra-high voltage substations, transmission lines, and distribution equipment but also established an integrated full-chain service system covering "synthesis, gas mixing, testing, and waste gas recovery". In response to the environmental disposal needs after gas use, Hexafluo is also actively cooperating with downstream enterprises to develop gas recovery, purification, and compliant disposal methods, which are expected to realize gas recycling and full-life-cycle green management. Currently, Hexafluo's perfluoroisobutyronitrile has been mass-supplied to major domestic and foreign power equipment enterprises, winning high recognition from customers.
In June 2025, the world's first 550kV perfluoroisobutyronitrile environmentally friendly gas-insulated metal-enclosed transmission line, independently developed by Pinggao Electric, China Electric Power Research Institute, State Grid Anhui Electric Power, etc., was successfully put into operation in the Anhui Rongsheng Substation project, marking a major breakthrough in the engineering application of perfluoroisobutyronitrile in ultra-high voltage equipment.
In August 2025, China's first 330kV C4 environmentally friendly gas circuit breaker was successfully commissioned at the 330kV Haishiwan Substation of State Grid Lanzhou Power Supply Company. This project adopted Hexafluo's perfluoroisobutyronitrile, and key indicators such as the composition and purity of the gas mixture met the requirements, winning high praise from the project team and providing an innovative model for the green transformation of the power industry.
As global climate change intensifies, promoting the replacement of SF6 in the power industry is of great significance for achieving the "dual carbon" goals. Upholding the mission of "creating a better future with green fluorine chemicals and materials", Hexafluo will always adhere to the concept of "innovation-driven, green development", continue to increase R&D investment, further improve product quality and core performance, and provide more reliable and high-quality perfluoroisobutyronitrile products and customized solutions for global customers. We look forward to working hand in hand with global power equipment enterprises and industry partners to bring green insulating gases to more substations, cover broader power transmission networks, and create a sustainable future.
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