Market overview

FK-5-1-12 is a six-carbon fluorinated ketone stored as a liquid and discharged as a gas that extinguishes fire mainly by heat absorption. It is the leading halocarbon clean agent for occupied rooms with high-value electronics, such as data centres, telecom switch rooms, control rooms and battery energy storage enclosures. Supply moved from 3M's Novec 1230 to Chinese fluorochemical producers after 3M left PFAS manufacturing, and its future in Europe depends on how the EU universal PFAS restriction treats fire-fighting gases.

The question this report answers
With 3M out of production and PFAS rules tightening, who will supply FK-5-1-12 to data-centre and battery-storage fire protection to 2035, and how much of the clean-agent market can it keep against inert gas and water mist?

1. Demand: who uses FK-5-1-12 and where it is growing

Data centres, telecom and control rooms are the largest use, with battery energy storage the fastest-growing; China and North America lead (Guosen Securities; Market Krystal estimate).

Demand by application (share of 2025 consumption, Market Krystal analysis)
– Data centres and IT rooms: 35%
– Battery energy storage and UPS battery rooms: 25%
– Telecom, control rooms and power distribution: 15%
– Archives, museums, heritage and medical: 10%
– Rail transit, vehicles and marine: 10%
– Other (electronics, industrial, portable extinguishers): 5%
Shares are Market Krystal estimates built from Guosen Securities' view that China's traditional uses take 2,000-3,000 t, over 30% of world demand, plus its storage demand model, and from system-maker focus on data centres and BESS (Kidde Fenwal; Fike).

Demand by region (share of 2025 consumption, Market Krystal analysis)
– China: 40%
– North America: 25%
– Europe: 18%
– Middle East, Africa and Latin America: 5%
– Rest of Asia-Pacific: 12%

Where demand grows fastest to 2035
– Battery energy storage: Guosen Securities models about 50 tonnes of agent per GWh of storage and in 2023 forecast China's storage-driven demand at 3.5 kt for 2023 rising to 12.6 kt for 2025, so storage stays the main growth driver to 2035 (Guosen Securities)
– Data centres: China had about 830,000 data-centre racks at end-2024 and its GB 50174-2023 standard favours clean gas systems for Class A computer rooms, supporting high single-digit growth in data-centre agent demand (Guanyan Tianxia)

2. Supply: who makes FK-5-1-12 and how much

After 3M's exit at end-2025, supply rests on Chinese producers such as Sinochem Lantian, Zhejiang Noah, Yonghe, Lihua, Juhua and Dongyue's Huaxia Shenzhou (Guosen Securities; Global Info Research). China's FK-5-1-12 capacity rose from about 5 kt/yr at end-2021 to about 8 kt/yr in early 2023, with about 24 kt/yr under construction that could take it above 30 kt/yr (Guosen Securities); 3M's 3 kt/yr closed with its PFAS exit at end-2025 (3M; Guosen Securities).

Main producers and capacity
– Sinochem Lantian (China): 2,000 t/yr (early 2023) (Guosen Securities)
– Zhejiang Noah Fluorochemical (China): 2,000 t/yr, plus 8,000 t/yr planned at Hubei Noah New Materials (Guosen Securities)
– Zhejiang Yonghe Refrigerant (China): 7,000 t/yr fluorinated fine-chemicals capacity covering HFPO, HFP oligomers and FK-5-1-12 (end-2025) (Yonghe)
– Lihua New Materials (China): 2,000 t/yr, 4,000 t/yr planned (Guosen Securities)
– Huaxia Shenzhou (Dongyue Group) (China): 1,000 t/yr planned (start expected Dec 2024) (Guosen Securities)
– Zhejiang Juhua (China): 6,502 t of fluorinated fine chemicals output in Jan-Sep 2026, a line that includes FK-5-1-12 (Juhua)
– 3M (USA / Belgium): 3,000 t/yr (early 2023); production ended with PFAS exit at end-2025 (3M; Guosen Securities)

Production by region (share of 2025 output, Market Krystal analysis)
– China: 85%
– North America: 5%
– Europe: 5%
– Rest of world: 5%

Trade and supply-demand balance
China is now the main exporter of FK-5-1-12, while North America and Europe import agent and fill it into locally assembled systems, often under system-maker brands such as Fike SF1230 (Fike; Guosen Securities).

3. Value chain: from feedstock to end market

Hexafluoropropylene (HFP) + Fluorspar and hydrogen fluoride + HFPO and HFP dimer/trimer intermediates → FK-5-1-12 → Data centres and IT rooms, Battery energy storage and UPS battery rooms, Telecom, control rooms and power distribution

Raw materials
– Hexafluoropropylene (HFP): Main building block; HFP price and spread drive FK-5-1-12 cost (Guosen Securities) (Guosen Securities)
– Fluorspar and hydrogen fluoride: Upstream base of the HFP chain; integrated fluorspar-to-HFP producers hold a cost edge (Guanyan Tianxia) (Guanyan Tianxia)
– HFPO and HFP dimer/trimer intermediates: Yonghe groups HFPO, HFP oligomers and FK-5-1-12 in one fine-chemicals line (Yonghe) (Yonghe)

Production route
Most Chinese producers make FK-5-1-12 from HFP via HFP oligomers or HFPO by liquid-phase catalytic routes, while Liming Institute (Honghua) uses a gas-phase route (Guanyan Tianxia).

Downstream
Agent producers sell to system makers and fillers such as Fike, Kidde Fenwal, Minimax and Chinese integrators, who supply UL/FM-listed cylinders and engineered systems to installers and data-centre operators (Fike; Guanyan Tianxia).

Price, cost and margin
Chinese capacity growth from about 5 kt in 2021 to a planned 30 kt-plus has pushed prices toward the fluorinated fine-chemicals average of about CNY 66,000 per tonne (Guosen Securities; Juhua). Chinese fluorinated fine chemicals averaged about CNY 66,000 per tonne in Jan-Sep 2026, up 8.4% (Juhua); margin sits with integrated HFP producers and with system makers whose listings and service contracts command a premium over the agent.

Where the chain is tightest
Listing and approval of new agent sources under UL, FM, NFPA 2001 and ISO 14520 is the bottleneck, because systems are approved with a specific agent and Western buyers need verified purity (Fike).

Who sits where in the chain
– Agent production: Sinochem Lantian, Zhejiang Noah Fluorochemical, Zhejiang Yonghe Refrigerant, Huaxia Shenzhou (Dongyue)
– Feedstock and agent: Zhejiang Juhua
– Former producer: 3M
– Systems: Fike, Kidde Fenwal
– Agent supply: Standard Fluids
– Systems and service: Minimax

4. Market size: what demand, supply and price add up to

Market Krystal preliminary estimate (2025)
Global Info Research puts the perfluoroketone agent market at USD 230 mn by 2032 at 11.7% CAGR, implying roughly USD 105-120 mn today; Dataintelo's USD 2.8 bn figure covers a much wider system scope. The range applies an indicative blended agent price of USD 9-12 per kg, anchored on Juhua's 2025-26 fluorinated fine-chemicals average of about CNY 66,000 per tonne plus a premium for certified Western-channel fluid, to 11-15 kt of global agent demand derived from Guosen Securities' installed-base and storage demand model. It brackets the level implied by Global Info Research's 2032 forecast. On this basis we use USD 110-170 mn. Confidence grade B: published estimates exist; the volume or price cross-check is partial.

How published estimates compare
Global Info Research sizes agent sales and implies a market near USD 110 mn, while Dataintelo's USD 2.8 bn appears to include systems and installation. Market Krystal builds the range from agent tonnage and indicative Chinese-anchored prices, and treats system-scope figures separately.

Key figures at a glance (third-party, cited)
– 3M completed its exit of PFAS manufacturing at the end of 2025, ending Novec 1230 production (3M)
– China's FK-5-1-12 capacity was about 8 kt/yr in early 2023, with about 24 kt/yr under construction (Guosen Securities)
– Global Info Research expects the perfluoroketone fire extinguishing agent market to reach USD 230 mn by 2032 at an 11.7% CAGR (Global Info Research)
– Yonghe reported 7,000 t/yr of fluorinated fine-chemicals capacity at end-2025, covering HFPO, HFP oligomers and FK-5-1-12 (Yonghe)
– Fire-fighting gases make up about 3% of the fluorinated-gases sector in the EU PFAS restriction, which proposes a 12-year derogation after an 18-month transition (Euralarm)

5. Outlook to 2035 and scenarios to 2047

Regulation and substitution
FK-5-1-12 is a PFAS under the EU proposal, which suggests an 18-month transition plus a 12-year derogation for fire-fighting gases; inert gases and water mist gain share where buyers want PFAS-free designs (Euralarm; Fike).

Recent developments among key stakeholders
– Oct 2026: Juhua reported Jan-Sep 2026 fluorinated fine-chemicals output of 6,502 t, up 32.7%, at an average price of about CNY 66,189 per tonne (Juhua)
– Apr 2026: Yonghe's 2025 annual report lists FK-5-1-12 among its fluorinated fine chemicals, with 7,000 t/yr category capacity (Yonghe)
– Mar 2026: ECHA's RAC adopted its opinion on the universal PFAS restriction and SEAC published its draft opinion, with SEAC's final opinion due by end-2026 (Linklaters)
– Dec 2025: 3M completed its exit of PFAS manufacturing, ending production of Novec 1230 fire protection fluid (3M)
– Aug 2025: ECHA published the revised universal PFAS restriction proposal, adding sectors and alternative restriction options (SGS)
– Jun 2024: Fike launched SF 1230 Fire Protection Fluid with Standard Fluids as a drop-in FK-5-1-12 replacement for Novec 1230 (Fike)

What this means for the market
Data-centre and BESS owners now depend on Chinese FK-5-1-12 routed through a few listed system makers, so qualified sourcing and refill stock become strategic. System makers with approved second sources and inert-gas or water-mist alternatives are best placed. Investors should treat the EU PFAS outcome as a long-dated risk rather than an immediate ban, given the proposed 12-year fire-fighting derogation.

Strategic scenarios to 2047
– Base: FK-5-1-12 keeps its role in data centres and storage under an EU derogation, Chinese supply dominates, and agent value grows at high single digits to 2035 before slowing as PFAS-free systems spread.
– Constrained supply: Trade measures on Chinese fluorochemicals or slow UL/FM listing of new sources tighten Western supply, lifting prices and shifting new projects to inert gas.
– Technology transition: A strict EU outcome and US state PFAS laws push new designs to inert gas, water mist and aerosols, leaving FK-5-1-12 mainly for refills and retrofits after 2035.
The swing factor for FK-5-1-12 is EU PFAS derogation terms for fire-fighting gases. Signposts: SEAC final opinion, Commission PFAS proposal, UL/FM listings of Chinese-sourced agent, Chinese capacity additions, BESS fire codes, US state PFAS reporting rules.

What this report delivers
Annual volume (tonnes) and value (USD) for 2026-2035, segmented by application: Data centres and IT rooms, Battery energy storage and UPS, Telecom and control rooms, Heritage, archives and medical, Transport; end use: Engineered clean-agent systems, Pre-engineered modules and cabinets, Refill and recharge agent, Portable and vehicle systems; region: China, North America, Europe, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Each segment is backed by a producer capacity map, trade data and the Market Krystal estimate log, with scenarios to 2047 and strategic recommendations.