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HCFC-141b Leaves Polyurethane Foam from 1 July 2026 — and the Quota Behind Its Replacement

· regulatory update · HANGRUI HOLDINGS LIMITED

The short answer: From 1 July 2026 China’s polyurethane foam sector completes the phase-out of HCFC-141b, its largest remaining use. The replacement demand lands mostly on HFC-245fa — which is exactly why MEE added 3,000 tonnes of 245fa production quota for 2026 and proposes widening the 245fa adjustment ratio to 50% for 2027. For anyone buying foam systems, insulation or 141b-based cleaning solvent out of China, this is a substance switch, not a volume change.

What the official documents say

DateDocumentWhat it says
24 Oct 20252026 HFC quota scheme (PDF)Adds 3,000 tonnes of HFC-245fa production quota, and 3,000 t of domestic-use quota, for the HCFC phase-out replacement demand
Aug 2026Draft 2027 HFC quota scheme, drafting note (PDF)The polyurethane foam sector achieves full phase-out of HCFC-141b from 1 July 2026; proposes raising the allowed upward adjustment ratio for HFC-245fa from 30% to 50%, without increasing the national quota total

Both texts are published by China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), which administers the quota system under the Regulations on the Administration of Ozone-Depleting Substances.

The substance being retired

HCFC-141b (1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane, CAS 1717-00-6) is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon with an ozone-depletion potential of 0.11 — about a ninth of CFC-11 — and a 100-year GWP of roughly 725. It is non-flammable, which is why it held on for so long. Its two main uses are rigid polyurethane foam blowing and precision cleaning as a solvent.

Under the Montreal Protocol, developed economies retired HCFC-141b from foam blowing around 2020. China’s phase-out for the foam sector is completing now, which is what the 1 July 2026 date marks.

The replacement is quota-constrained, not just technically different

HFC-245fa (1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane) has an ODP of zero — it does not damage the ozone layer. Its constraint is different: a 100-year GWP of about 1,030, roughly ten times that of CO2 per unit mass. Because China’s HFC production is frozen at the Kigali baseline, the substance that replaces 141b is the same substance that competes for a fixed national quota.

That is the mechanical link between the two documents above:

Alternatives exist and each carries a trade-off: cyclopentane (zero ODP, low GWP, but flammable and needs upgraded equipment), HFO-1233zd(E) (very low GWP, higher cost), HFC-365mfc (used in blends), and water-blown CO2 systems (cheap, but lower insulation performance in some foam types).

What to check if your supply chain touches this

  1. Which substance your specification names. A foam system specified as “141b-blown” needs to be re-specified, not just re-sourced.
  2. Whether the replacement is covered by quota. For 245fa, ask the same question you would ask for any other HFC: which entity holds the current-year quota, and for how many tonnes.
  3. Documents. CAS number, SDS and the technical data sheet should follow the actual substance shipped, not the old specification.
  4. Timing of price, not just availability. Demand created by a phase-out meets a frozen quota ceiling. In this kind of market the pressure normally shows up in price and lead time before it shows up in an empty warehouse.
  5. End-market rules. If the foam goes into equipment or panels exported to the EU or US, the end-market rules on high-GWP blowing agents apply on top of China’s export rules.

Sources

For general information only — not legal or regulatory advice. Quota, F-gas and dangerous-goods rules vary by jurisdiction and change; verify current obligations with qualified advisers before ordering.

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