Kumho Petrochemical Manufactures Eco-Friendly Rubber Composites Using Rice Bran Extract

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Kumho Petrochemical has embarked on an eco-friendly synthetic rubber composite business applying Bio-Silica.

Kumho Petrochemical announced on the 5th that it recently decided to strengthen research on eco-friendly and high-end synthetic rubber composites applying Bio-Silica through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a manufacturing technology company and cooperation with domestic and international firms.

Silica, when compounded with Kumho Petrochemical's high-performance tire synthetic rubber such as SSBR, offers advantages that improve tire fuel efficiency, braking power, and abrasion resistance, making it a promising raw material that can replace traditional carbon black. Its applicability and demand are expected to gradually increase in the electric vehicle tire industry, where tires are heavier than internal combustion engine vehicles, making grip and wear performance even more critical.

The silica Kumho Petrochemical will newly use is derived from rice husk (wanggyeo) extract. Natural silica, which is abundantly contained at over 90% in the ash of carbonized rice husk, is converted into silicate (sodium silicate) and then processed into bio-silica usable in petrochemical products. Unlike conventional silica based on quartz sand, which requires significant energy in mining and processing, the rice husk processing method is energy-efficient and can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 70% compared to the traditional process.

The eco-friendly synthetic rubber composite being developed by Kumho Petrochemical is a high-performance material that maximizes the dispersion ability of bio-silica and SSBR, and it is scheduled to be supplied to major domestic and international tire and footwear manufacturers. Furthermore, considering the growth potential of the bio-silica business, Kumho Petrochemical plans to expand the production capacity of SSBR, a core material of the business and one of the company's main products, from the current 63,000 tons to approximately 123,000 tons by the end of 2022, nearly doubling the capacity.

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