Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials

What Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials does

Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials (OF&EM), the fluorine-based specialty chemicals platform of Mexico-listed Orbia Advance Corporation (BMV: ORBIA*), develops and manufactures fluoroproducts for refrigerants, pharmaceutical propellants, and lithium-ion battery materials. Operating through four business units — Minerals & Chemical Intermediates (M&CI), Refrigerants, Pharma, and Energy Materials — the company runs a vertically integrated value chain from its own fluorspar reserves (Fluorita de México) through fluorochemical synthesis to finished branded products. Refrigerant brands include the long-established Klea portfolio (Klea 134a, 32, 404A, 407C, 410A, 507, 125, 508A) and the next-generation low-GWP Klea Edge line (444A, 485A); pharmaceutical propellants are sold under the Zephex brand (152a, 134a, 227ea), with Zephex 134a used in approximately 75% of the world's metered dose inhalers; energy materials comprise LiPF6 electrolyte salt, OS3 organosilicon electrolyte, Koflyte fluorinated solvents/additives, custom electrolytes manufactured in Madison, WI, and graphite under development for U.S. production.

The business operates 13 manufacturing facilities across 60 countries with roughly 1,800 employees, anchored by the world's largest integrated pharmaceutical-grade HFA plant at Runcorn (UK) and a new LiPF6 plant under construction in St. Gabriel, Louisiana under U.S. Department of Energy grant funding. Manufacturing and R&D footprint spans Mexico (San Luis Potosí headquarters and technology center), the UK (Ince/Chester, Runcorn), the United States (St. Gabriel, Madison, Wilmington, Boston), and commercial entities in Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, and Taiwan.

Orbia F&EM sells through a hybrid enterprise go-to-market: direct field sales to OEMs in HVAC&R, automotive, and pharma; a global regional distribution network; OEM endorsements and white-label agreements (notably with Technical Chemical Company/Johnsen's for automotive aftermarket refrigerants); and event-driven demand generation (Chillventa, Automechanika Frankfurt, ASHRAE UK). Revenue is generated predominantly through B2B quote-based sales of industrial chemicals and pharmaceutical inputs; pricing is not publicly disclosed and unit volumes are inferred from installed-base and market-share data rather than published figures. The regulatory environment — F-Gas phase-down in the EU, AIM Act in the U.S., and the global transition to low-GWP medical propellants — is the primary commercial driver and the principal reason low-GWP platforms (Klea Edge, Zephex 152a) are receiving the bulk of recent investment and partnership activity.

Name

Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials

Legal name

Mexichem Fluor S.A. de C.V.

Website

https://orbia-fem.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials is the fluorine specialty-chemicals business of Orbia Advance Corporation, producing low-GWP refrigerants, medical propellants for metered dose inhalers, and lithium-ion battery electrolytes from vertically integrated fluorspar assets, serving HVAC&R, pharma, automotive, and battery OEMs across 60 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fluorochemicals and Specialty Materials

NAICS

Industrial Gas Manufacturing (32512), Chemical Manufacturing (325)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)

akta.pro primary industry

Battery & Energy Storage High-Purity Chemicals (Electrolyte salts/solvents, additives) (IMAEAKAM)

Keywords

• Fluorinated refrigerants
• Medical propellants
• Lithium battery electrolytes
• Low-GWP refrigerants
• Fluorochemical manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Luis Potosí

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fluoroproduct sales: Sale of fluorine-based products including refrigerants, pharmaceutical propellants, and battery materials across global markets

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials manufactures and sells fluorinated specialty chemicals, including HFC/HFO refrigerants under the Klea® brand, medical-grade HFA propellants under the Zephex® brand for metered-dose inhalers, lithium-ion battery electrolytes and additives (Koflyte®, OS3®, LiPF6), fluorinated heat-transfer fluids, and fluorinated specialty gases and solvents. The division serves industrial OEMs, pharmaceutical companies, battery cell makers, aerospace/defense contractors, and industrial gas firms in more than 100 countries, with products sold in bulk, cylinders and custom formulations backed by regulatory and technical support.

Product overview

Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials (OF&EM) is organized into four business units: Minerals & Chemical Intermediates (M&CI), Refrigerants, Pharma, and Energy Materials. The company offers fluorine-based solutions including refrigerants under the Klea® and Klea® Edge™ brands (covering products like Klea® 134a, 32, 404A, 407C, 410A, 507, 125, 508A, 473A, 456A, and next-gen products 444A and 485A), medical propellants under the Zephex® brand (152a, 134a, 227ea) used in metered dose inhalers, and battery materials including LiPF6, OS3®, Koflyte®, custom electrolytes, and graphite for the Li-ion battery industry. The company also provides formulation services for pharmaceutical customers and operates with vertical integration from fluorspar mining to finished products. OF&EM serves customers across 60 countries through 13 manufacturing facilities worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Klea: Trusted refrigerant brand with over 50 years of experience, including Klea 134a, Klea 32, Klea 404A, Klea 407A, Klea 407C, Klea 410A, Klea 507, Klea 125, and Klea 508A products.
• Klea Edge
• Zephex
• OS
• Koflyte

Products and services

• Klea® refrigerants Fluorinated refrigerant gases (including HFC and HFO products such as Klea® 134a, Klea® 32, Klea® 407C and low-GWP blends) sold in bulk and cylinders to HVAC, refrigeration and automotive AC OEMs and service markets.
• Zephex® medical propellants Pharmaceutical-grade HFA 134a and HFA 227ea propellants (Zephex® brand) sold with full GMP documentation and regulatory support to pharmaceutical companies formulating metered-dose inhalers for respiratory drug delivery.
• Koflyte® lithium-ion battery electrolytes Custom-formulated lithium-ion battery electrolytes (Koflyte® brand) sold to lithium-ion battery cell manufacturers for electric vehicles, energy storage systems and consumer electronics.
• OS3® electrolyte additive Proprietary OS3® additive blended into lithium-ion battery electrolytes to improve cycle life, high-voltage stability and high-temperature performance for advanced cell chemistries.
• Lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) High-purity lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) salt manufactured at scale and sold as the core lithium salt used in lithium-ion battery electrolyte formulations.
• Fluorinated heat-transfer and specialty fluids Fluorinated heat-transfer fluids and specialty gases sold to aerospace, defense and industrial customers for thermal management, electronics cooling and high-performance industrial applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% energy-efficiency improvement and ~$95,000 cost savings using Klea Edge 485A in CO2-based commercial refrigeration
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• WorleyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 8 July 2026Worley is handling procurement and supply chain management for the LiPF6 plant construction project in Louisiana. Contact for non-disclosure agreements and bid documentation.
• Technical Chemical Company (TCC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 August 2025Private label partnership where Orbia's Klea Edge 444A (R-444A) refrigerant is marketed by TCC under its Johnsen's brand as FREEZE YF for automotive aftermarket. TCC's nationwide distribution and industry relationships ensure broad access to this lower-cost, lower-impact alternative to R-1234yf.
• WavincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrbia group company Wavin was recognized at ASHRAE UK awards for application of Orbia F&EM's Klea Edge 485A as low-temperature refrigerant solution for commercial and residential heat pumps, demonstrating successful internal collaboration within Orbia group.
• QuercycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustomer case study partner demonstrating Klea Edge 485A performance in CO2-based commercial refrigeration retrofit, achieving 20% energy-efficiency improvement and generating approximately $95,000 in cost savings.
• Department of Energy (DOE)coreOthersMexichem Fluor Inc. is working under Department of Energy Grant DE-MS0000009 to design, engineer, plan and build the first North American Lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) plant in Louisiana, USA.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orbiafem

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials