Breaking Bottlenecks – Domestic FSR Accelerates Import Substitution in Semiconductors and Defense
Amid geopolitical shifts and semiconductor industry self-sufficiency drives, critical material import substitution is urgent. In 2026, through national and enterprise-level R&D programs, high-performance
FSR has achieved key application breakthroughs in semiconductor equipment seals and aerospace coatings, significantly raising the localization rate.
In semiconductor manufacturing, dry etching and chemical vapor deposition expose materials to high-energy plasmas and corrosive gases (fluorides, chlorine). Perfluoroelastomers, while excellent, are extremely expensive and supply-constrained. FSR, as a cost-effective alternative, is enjoying its “highlight moment” for localization in 2026.
A leading enterprise with a fluorosilicone material base in Zibo clearly stated in its 2026 strategic plan that it aims to solve “bottleneck” problems in integrated circuit manufacturing. Its fluorine-containing materials for chip manufacturing have achieved batch application. For 5G and AI computing, its FSR products have passed downstream customer certification, promising significant potential in smart robots and millimeter-wave radar.
This enterprise, leveraging its restructured national key laboratory, has undertaken multiple national strategic R&D projects. In fluoropolymers, it has not only optimized conventional PTFE production but also invested heavily in fluororubber modification. By adding specific nano-scale additives to FSR formulations, it solved outgassing rate issues in ultra-high vacuum environments, critical for cleanliness in chip manufacturing.
In defense, FSR is also making news. Accessory drive systems, fuel lines, and helicopter rotor components in aero-engines demand extremely demanding seals: resisting -55°C while tolerating RP-3 jet fuel and high-temperature lubricating oil. Recently, a domestic high-tech company received a patent for a corrosion-resistant rubber composite. This technology skillfully combines fluorosilicone gum with specially modified nano-alumina. By grafting technology using a “fluorosilicone nano-filler modifier,” a flexible molecular brush forms on nanoparticle surfaces, greatly enhancing filler dispersion, corrosion resistance, and abrasion resistance—fully meeting long-life seal requirements under complex military conditions.
From a patent perspective, FSR technology is moving from simple blending to precise molecular design. For example, using radical step-transfer-addition-termination polymerization to synthesize block fluorinated copolymers, then using these as macroinitiators for graft polymerization of functional monomers. This “modular” molecular design allows researchers to custom-synthesize FSR with different structures tailored to applications requiring acid, alkali, solvent, or oxidation resistance.
Industry experts note that for domestic FSR to gain traction in high-end markets, batch-to-batch stability and cost control must be solved. With fluorosilicone industrial clusters forming in Zhejiang, Shandong, and Jiangsu, upstream monomer purity is gradually being mastered. As downstream validation cycles complete, the next three years represent a golden window for high-end domestic FSR substitution in semiconductor and defense applications.
