Chemours' John Sworen Receives Moore Medal for Developing Non-Fluorinated Bio-Based Water Repellent

WILMINGTON, Del., Sept. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- John Sworen, a Technical Fellow at The Chemours Company (Chemours) (NYSE: CC), a global chemistry company with leading market positions in titanium technologies, fluoroproducts and chemical solutions, today will receive the 2019 SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal for leading a team that developed Teflon EcoElite™, a non-fluorinated, renewably sourced durable repellent for use in the consumer textile market. The development of Teflon EcoElite™ finish is part of Chemours' broader pledge to develop products with industry-leading sustainability profiles.

The Moore Medal is awarded by The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), America Group, and recognizes early career success in innovation, as reflected both in market impact and improvement to the quality of life. Teflon EcoElite™ repellent was developed by a team led by Sworen between 2012 and 2015, and has been adopted by many major brand houses that manufacture consumer sportswear, including Colmar.

"Consumers are demanding cleaner, greener products, and with products like Teflon EcoElite™, we're positioning our customers farther up the value chain to meet that demand," said Paul Kirsch, President of Fluoroproducts at Chemours. "John's innovation is a game-changer for the textile industry, and we are so proud that he has received this hard-earned recognition. At Chemours, we are committed to leading our industry forward on the issues of social and environmental responsibility – and John's development of Teflon EcoElite™ repellent is a shining example of that commitment."

Teflon EcoElite™ finish is the first renewably sourced, non-fluorinated fabric treatment for durable repellency and is manufactured with 60% renewably sourced raw materials, which are not made with genetically modified organisms (GMO). This means that much of what goes into Teflon EcoElite™ finish can be naturally regrown and replaced over time. Simultaneously, its performance far exceeds existing non-fluorinated technologies, such as paraffin and silicones. Unlike those types of non-fluorinated finishes, fabrics with Teflon EcoElite™ finish can repel water and water-based stains for 30 washes or more.

Additionally, Teflon EcoElite™ finish is up to 3x more durable than many non-fluorinated repellents, and does not impact fabric breathability, allowing for maximum comfort.

In 2018, Chemours published its first Corporate Responsibility Commitments, including ten ambitious sustainability goals that the company has pledged to achieve by 2030. These goals include receiving 50% or more of the company's revenue from product offerings that make a specific contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and reducing air and water process emissions of fluorinated organic chemicals by 99% or greater.

Sworen began his career as a research investigator at Chemours predecessor company DuPont. While at DuPont, he led the company's development of surface protection products, inventing and commercializing 18 products in the space. Sworen holds a B.S. in Chemistry from The Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organic and Polymer Chemistry from the University of Florida. He is a Six Sigma Black Belt, has published 13 journal articles, and he holds 27 granted and pending patents.

About The Chemours Company 
The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) is a global leader in titanium technologies, fluoroproducts, and chemical solutions, providing its customers with solutions in a wide range of industries with market-defining products, application expertise and chemistry-based innovations. Chemours ingredients are found in plastics and coatings, refrigeration and air conditioning, mining, and general industrial manufacturing. Our flagship products include prominent brands such as Teflon™, Ti-Pure™, Krytox™, Viton™, Opteon™, Freon™ and Nafion™. Chemours published its first corporate responsibility commitment report in 2018, which highlights goals aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The company has approximately 7,000 employees and 28 manufacturing sites serving approximately 3,700 customers in over 120 countries. Chemours is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and is listed on the NYSE under the symbol CC.

For more information, we invite you to visit chemours.com or follow us on Twitter @Chemours or LinkedIn.  

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. The words "believe," "expect," "will," "anticipate," "plan," "estimate," "anticipate," "target," "project," and similar expressions, among others, generally identify "forward-looking statements" which speak only as of the date the statements were made. These forward-looking statements may address, among other things, the outcome or resolution of any pending or future environmental liabilities, litigation and other legal proceedings or contingencies, anticipated future operating and financial performance, business plans and prospects, transformation plans, cost savings targets and plans to increase profitability, that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and expectations of future events which may not be accurate or realized. Forward-looking statements also involve risks and uncertainties which are beyond Chemours' control. Additionally, there may be other risks and uncertainties that Chemours is unable to identify at this time or that Chemours does not currently expect to have a material impact on its business. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. Chemours assumes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement for any reason, except as required by law.

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SOURCE The Chemours Company

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