Plant Construction to Begin This Year
SK Chemicals will commercialize biopolyols, an eco-friendly material based on corn and used for clothing and shoes.
SK Chemicals announced on Feb. 10 that it will start the construction of a plant to produce polyoxytrimethylene ether glycol (PO3G) at a site in its plant in Ulsan, Korea. SK Chemicals is the first Korean company to commercialize PO3G. "SK Chemicals will be the first company in Asia and the second in the world to produce PO3G," an SK Chemicals official said. “The market for PO3G is currently being formed, and investment and the size of the facility are not disclosed.
PO3G is mainly used for elastic materials such as polyurethane and spandex. PO3G makes a product softer and improves its elastic recovery and wear resistance, thus making it feel good to wear and not easily deformed.
In particular, the biggest strength of PO3G is its eco-friendliness. Biopolyols reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent compared with conventional polyols.
SK Chemicals’ PO3G is an eco-friendly biopolyol based on 100 percent bio raw materials made from fermented corn. At the moment, its demand eclipses its supply.