Hanwha Solutions, Rapid Increase in Water-Absorbing Resin Exports... 100% Production Growth This Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Hanwha Solutions' self-developed healthcare material, 'hydrogenated petroleum resin (Sucheom resin),' has established itself in the global market.

Hanwha Solutions announced on the 25th that the production volume of Sucheom resin has been increasing by 40% every month since the beginning of this year. Sucheom resin is a non-toxic, odorless, eco-friendly adhesive material used in hygiene products such as diapers, sanitary pads, and masks.

Recently, Hanwha Solutions secured consecutive contracts with major global adhesive companies such as Henkel in Germany, H.B. Fuller in the United States, and Bostik in France. This year, Hanwha Solutions' production volume of Sucheom resin is expected to reach 48,000 tons, doubling compared to the previous year. With growing global interest in eco-friendly products and increasing demand for hygiene products due to aging populations, the eco-friendly adhesive market is growing at an annual rate of 8%.

Since Sucheom resin is used in products that come into direct contact with the human body, safety and quality standards are stringent, and global chemical companies with high-performance material technologies such as ExxonMobil and Eastman in the U.S. have dominated the market. Hanwha Solutions developed a technology since 2014 that adds hydrogen (H) under high temperature and high pressure to petroleum resin with high tack and adhesion to remove impurities, and began commercial production at its Yeosu plant in Jeollanam-do in November 2019 with an annual capacity of 50,000 tons. In particular, it was recognized for its high-performance, low-cost special catalyst technology that differentiates it from global competitors' products, and in March this year, it received the 'IR52 Jang Young-sil Award' from the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Hanwha Solutions aims to achieve sales exceeding 1 trillion KRW by 2030 through three high-value healthcare materials: Sucheom resin for 'personal care' products, mass production of XDI, a high-refractive-index lens material for 'vision care,' and investment in cresol, a raw material for synthetic vitamins, in the 'nutrition' field.

Lee Gu-young, CEO of Hanwha Solutions Chemical Division, stated, "Starting with Sucheom resin, we will actively enter the high-value healthcare material market and build a growth portfolio that is resilient to market fluctuations."

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