Expansion of Ulsan Plant for Dream Material Aramid Fiber

Ulsan City and Hyosung to Sign MOU on the 20th... 5G Market and Defense Industry 'Blooming'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] The Ulsan factory producing aramid fibers, known as the 'dream new material' that is several times stronger than steel and does not melt even at 500 degrees Celsius, is expected to undergo a large-scale expansion.

On the 20th at 2 p.m., Ulsan City announced that it will sign a memorandum of understanding with Hyosung Advanced Materials for the 'expansion of the aramid fiber production plant.'

The agreement includes Hyosung Advanced Materials contributing to revitalizing the local economy through investment in the production plant expansion, and the city providing administrative support such as various permits related to the expansion investment.

In particular, this investment in expanding the aramid fiber production line was decided by Hyosung Group after initially considering building a factory in Vietnam, but judging that the domestic economic recovery and the production base of core materials should be located in Korea, they chose to expand the Ulsan factory, which has favorable industrial conditions.

Hyosung plans to invest a total of 61.3 billion KRW in the Ulsan aramid factory, complete the expansion by the first half of 2021, and increase the production capacity from 1,200 tons per year to 3,700 tons per year, more than tripling it.

With this expansion, they aim to capture both cost and quality competitiveness in the aramid market, and the global market share in this field is expected to rise.

'Aramid fiber' is a high-strength fiber with excellent heat resistance, an industrial field where countries worldwide have been competing in research and development. It is broadly divided into meta-aramid (m-Aramid) and para-aramid (p-Aramid). Hyosung developed its own technology from 2003 and created the para-aramid fiber 'Alkex' in 2009.

Alkex has a strength five times greater than steel, outstanding heat resistance that does not burn even at 500 degrees Celsius, and excellent chemical resistance, leading to increased applications and demand.

It is an essential product in defense industries such as bulletproof vests and helmets, and is used in various applications including optical cable reinforcements, automotive hoses and belts, oil and gas markets, and construction reinforcement materials. Recently, with the application of ultra-high-speed communication networks (5G), demand for optical cables has surged, and the aramid industry is expected by the market to become a 'golden goose.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.