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| ▲ Chemiko / CEO Hyosik Kim | ||
Nobody would disagree that eco-friendliness is one of the most quoted words in the media today not only in South Korea but throughout the world. Many global companies take the issue of environmental pollution as a threat to the lives of living organisms on earth and protecting it is no more an option but a must. For this reason, many governments of the world are introducing tougher regulations alongside banning the use of polystyrene (PS) as it contributes greatly to environmental pollution; unlike polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PS has no value for recycling and is disposed mostly by incineration which pollutes the air and the ocean.
A total of 47 governments in the world currently have banned the use of PS as well as vinyl containers: and the number jumps to 64 if included regional bans. Nevertheless, PS is still being used for electronic goods and food containers due to attractive characteristics of heat reserving and flexibility.
Experts say that it takes 500 years for PS to be naturally decomposed. The history of PS only goes back to 100 years ago and it means the first PS product made by human is still lingering in some corners on earth. The reason industrialists still prefer PS is because there is no alternative to this highly insulating and flexible material yet despite it releases endocrine disruptor that contributes to pollution. And this is the reason that a Korean company Chemiko is in the center stage of attention.
Original technology that wows the world
Chemiko is a company which makes Foam_Sheet without adding chemical foaming agents but only gas. The world’s first 25 time multiple physical foaming agent PP and PLA Sheet wows the industry specialists in the field and Chemiko has obtained a patent for coextrusion foaming facility production.
Before this technology, the industry used PE & PS foaming facility which cannot make high powered PP & PLA foaming, except some companies which made up to 4 time multiple foaming by adding PET & PP chemical substances through ‘crosslink foaming’. The Chemiko’s ‘physical foaming’, on the other hand, is an eco-friendly foaming method and the company has obtained two patents for this original technology, and a number of utility patents are being in the process at the moment.
Unique techniques in PS alternative, car parts, eco-friendly buoys and consumer goods
In 2015 and 2016, Chemiko registered patents for porosity coextrusion foaming original technologies followed by a completion of a 200kg/h mass production facility No.1 and test production of porosity coextrusion sheet in 2018, and a 400kg/h mass production facility No.2 of porosity coextrusion sheet in 2019; Chemiko now is set to sell Foam_Sheet.
Currently, Joeun Platech, which holds exclusive license for PLA of Chemiko, is carrying on installing the 400kg/h facility and is working on obtaining eco-friendly certificate before releasing the product. Chemiko, meanwhile, has received a letter of purchase intent for a ‘convenient HMR container production company & car 1 vendor’ and is working on Original Equipment Manufacturing (Made to Order). The letter of purchase intent is valued around 140 billion won (117 million US dollars) and the volume is expected to increase through the car 1 vendor and technology application meetings.
The Made to Order is processed as follows: 1) receiving R&D from client 2) suggesting applicable products (and/or technologies) 3) customizing 4) signing for Made to Order 5) securing production facility and producing 6) delivery and selling.
“The reason we make most of the Made to Order advantages is because it benefits both the producer and the client through mapping out of the strategic production plan that can save the cost of inventory and operation to distribution which eventually lead to reduction in overall production cost” explains CEO Hyosik Kim.
With confidence in its accumulated knowledge and knowhow alongside wowing original technologies, Chemiko is targeting to draw 200 billion won sales by 2022; Chemiko has already secured reserved sales of 140 billion won stated on the letter of purchase intent.
Chemiko’s unique characteristics of PP and PLA press-out foaminess
Low intrinsic viscosity and melt strength which makes foaming achievement weak
Crystallization, unlike PS, makes the window narrow and particular in the foaming process
Core facility plan and production condition information optimized for foaming are required
Differentiated knowhow to raise melt strength is required
The technology that can highly multiply PP and PLA is uniquely reserved by Chemiko
Product line
Disposable package : eco-friendly high functional PP containers as alternative to PS and paper containers
Safe use on microwave
High drainage foaming to reduce unit price
No microplastic, find dust and air pollution
Food package material market is estimated around 439 trillion won (367 billion US dollars) as of 2020 (source: Technavio, Global Food Packaging Market)
Car parts : ultra-light, competitive unit price, improved fuel efficiency and non-pollutant foaming PP material
Roofline foam: insulation, soundproof and sound-absorbing
Trunk liner and wheel guard foam: soundproof and sound-absorbing on driving
Air duct foam: preventing dew condensation and keeping energy
Reusable eco-friendly material
Light material car parts market is predicted around 26 trillion won (21 billion US dollars) as of 2022 (source: KPM Economic Research Institute, Issue Monitor No.96, 2018)
It is a global trend that companies must use alternative to PS if there is or companies are responsible to plan out for reduction if there is not. Also, PS-based imported goods get higher environmental tax.
Leading the new era for eco-friendly 21st century materials with cutting edge technologies
‘Integral PP buoy for marine aquaculture’ is a new market for CEO Kim to pioneer. The existing PS materials used for buoys are vulnerable and turned into microplastic. The Chemiko’s ‘integral PP buoy’, on the other hand, is solid and heat-resistant and it does not produce microplastic.
It is notable that the existing eco-friendly buoy made with PP injection moulding with cylinder and air rod by the Ministry of Environment is very expensive and not practical which is the reason for many fishermen not using it.
Chemiko is a company with commitment to leading the new era for eco-friendly 21st century materials with cutting edge technologies under the slogan ‘Eco Green Trust 3.0’.
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在必环境义务化时代创造“绿色增长价值”!
聚苯乙烯(PS)替代市场、汽车超轻量配件市场、亲环境浮标等…
拥有可回收使用的PP、PLA Foam_Sheet制造源泉技术
现代社会最大的话题是亲环境。最近国际社会认识到环境污染的严重性，已超越亲环境，开始进入必环境时代。在全世界范围内施行亲环境义务化政策，有关禁止使用被指定为环境污染主犯的聚苯乙烯(PS:polystyrene)的法律逐渐扩散，各国都在积极研究和寻找替代材料。聚苯乙烯(PS)与PP、PET不同，没有回收使用的价值，回收率很低，由于微粒塑料的涌出和焚烧处理，成为引发大气和海洋污染的主要原因。截止2019年，47个国家禁止使用塑料袋和聚苯乙烯容器。如果包括地区单位的限制，施行限制政策的国家多达64个。据说塑料自然分解至少需要经过500年的时间。塑料经历了100年的历史，可以断言人类制造的最初塑料水瓶至今仍残留在地球上的某个角落。而且，PS耐热强度较低，不适合作为食品容器来使用。尽管如此，至今仍在使用聚苯乙烯的理由是，因为发泡容易，也没有太合适的可替代保温、保冷、吸收冲击等优点的材料。在这种形势下，成功开发PS的替代材料，在必环境时代创造“绿色增长价值”的（株）CHEMICO（代表：金孝植）备受人们瞩目。
将必环境的价值“Green Value”作为最大政策课题
全球经济将必环境的价值“Green Value”作为最大的政策课题。这涉及到所有经济领域。因此，在所有产业部门都要开发可替代引发环境污染的各种产品的材料已迫在眉睫。其中最紧急的就是PS产品，关键是至今还没有能够替代PS特性的材料。PS产品广泛被应用于食品容器、电子产品包装、汽车、养殖用浮标、文具类、家具材料等众多领域。
（株）CHEMICO确保了在PP、PLA树脂中不添加化学发泡剂,只注入气体生产“FOAM_SHEET”的物理发泡(无架桥)方式“共挤·发泡设备制作_源泉技术专利”。在世界上首次生产约25倍物理发泡PP、 PLA Sheet，实现了商品化，这在世界上是前所未有的专利技术。用现有的PE&PS发泡设备， 不可能实施高倍率PP&PLA发泡。只有极少数企业用添加化学物质的[架桥发泡]生产出最大3~4倍数发泡的PET & PP产品。（株）CHEMICO使用物理发泡[无架桥]方式。用物理发泡方式生产的材料，保持原料的固有成分，是具有可回收利用的优点的亲环境发泡技术。（株）CHEMICO现已注册与此相关的2个源泉技术专利，申请多项实用专利，正在实施注册审查。
在PS替代材料和汽车材料、环保型浮标、消费品市场具备独创性竞争力
（株）CHEMICO的新材料目标市场包括，PS替代市场和汽车材料、环保型浮标和消费品市场。全球市场规模估计约达到100万亿韩元。从开发现状上来看，2015~6年开发“多孔性共挤发泡机”制作技术以及完成源泉技术专利注册，2018年“多孔性共挤发泡Sheet 量产设备1号机200kg/h竣工及试制品生产结束”，2019年“多孔性共挤发泡sheet量产设备2号机400kg/h竣工”已结束 “foam_sheet”销售准备工作。
从现在应用案例来看，在（株）CHEMICO的技术中拥有PLA领域国内垄断许可的（株）朝恩PLATECH已设置400kg/h的设备，在产品上市以前正在进行亲环境绿色认证。而且，（株）CHEMICO已接受“便携式（HMR）容器制造企业和汽车第一销售商”的优先购买意向书，正在进行订单生产(Make To Order)。在PP领域客户公司优先采购意向书现已达到1,400亿韩元规模，通过汽车1次和技术应用会议，必将有大幅增加。
▶说CHEMICO所拥有的PP、PLA树脂挤压发泡独创性的理由
- 固有粘度低，Melt Strength(熔体强度)低，发泡成就较弱。
- 与PS不同，出现结晶化，在发泡工程中窗口非常窄且难以操作。
- 需要适合于发泡的关键设备的设计和生产条件相关信息。
- 需要提升Melt Strength的专业化知识。
- 用高倍率发泡PP、PLA是（株）CHEMICO的独创性技术。
▶CHEMICO产品类型及预期效果
❶ 1次性包装材料 : 供应可替代PS和纸容器的“亲环境高功能PP容器”。
- 用微波炉进行烹饪时安全而性能超强的容器。
- 高倍数的发泡，取得节约成分的效果。
- 微粒塑料、大气污染、粉尘防止等环境保护效果。
- 因全球环境政策而受到威胁的企业生态系统保护效果。
※ 食品包装材料的全球市场，2022年将达到439万亿韩元。
-摘自 [TECHNAVIO, GLOBAL FOOD PACKAGING MARKET]
❷ 汽车配件 : “超轻量化、节约成本、改善燃油效率、防止大气污染”发泡PP材料
- 循环管路FOAM材料保温、保冷、防音、吸音效果。
- 行李箱衬里、挡泥板的FOAM材料，在行驶中起到防音吸音效果。
- 用AIR DUCT FOAM材料防止结露，防止能量损失效果。
- 利用物理发泡[无架桥]加工汽车配件时，可回收使用的亲环境材料。
※ 汽车轻量材料的全球市场，2020年将达到26万亿韩元。
-摘自 [三井 KPM经济研究院 ISSUE MONITOR 第96号，2018]
“继续开发和普及引领二十一世纪的技术 ”
金代表对ECO GREEN TRUST的3.0时代性抱负，发表道：“我们的目的是让（株）CHEMICO的技术能够像人类可持续航行的引擎，广泛应用于多种领域。现在（株）CHEMICO将继续开发引领二十一世纪的清洁发展机制[CDM]，传播创新性技术。为了保护好我们正在使用并且要留给子孙后代的健康的地球，继续致力于替代技术的开发，与大家共享未来的新增长动力。”
신태섭 기자 tss79@naver.com
