SK-Kolon Commercializes Eco-Friendly Biodegradable Plastic Materials

At the Kolon Industries Gumi plant, members of both SK Geocentric and Kolon Industries are holding PBAT products and taking a commemorative photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] SK Innovation's eco-friendly chemical business subsidiary SK Geocentric announced on the 22nd that it will commercially launch the eco-friendly biodegradable plastic material PBAT (Polybutylene Adipate-co-Terephthalate) in collaboration with Kolon Industries.

PBAT is an eco-friendly plastic product that is rapidly decomposed by microorganisms in nature. SK Geocentric has been conducting joint research and development on PBAT with Kolon Industries since last year. After signing a strategic partnership in April this year, they produced prototypes, obtained environmental label certification, and launched commercial products within eight months.

SK Geocentric supplies the raw materials for PBAT and aims to continuously expand sales channels by actively utilizing its marketing capabilities and network. SK Geocentric is the only domestic producer of 1,4-butanediol, a key raw material for PBAT and used in the manufacture of various fibers, plastics, and electronic chemicals.

Kolon Industries, which possesses top-tier polyester product manufacturing technology in Korea, receives stable raw material supply from SK Geocentric and produces high-quality PBAT at its Gumi plant by combining the technological expertise of both companies, including optimal temperature and material mixing ratios.

According to both companies, while conventional plastic products take nearly 100 years to decompose naturally, PBAT is a highly eco-friendly plastic material that decomposes more than 90% within six months when buried. Due to its rapid decomposition rate and flexibility, it is used in various disposable bags and agricultural mulching films (films used to maintain soil temperature or moisture).

In particular, when combined with other materials such as PLA (Poly Lactic Acid), an eco-friendly material extracted from hard corn starch, or starch, PBAT exhibits strength similar to conventional plastic films. Its high printability and processability allow for diverse applications in the packaging sector. Since PBAT can be composted in natural soil, it is expected to replace existing agricultural films that face collection difficulties.

The production capacity of the PBAT plant in Gumi is about 3,000 tons per year. With the strengthening of environmental regulations, demand for biodegradable products is rapidly increasing, and the industry forecasts that the global PBAT market size will expand from 220,000 tons this year to 800,000 tons by 2025. To respond to this, SK Geocentric plans to expand production capacity to 60,000 tons annually by 2024 in partnership with Kolon Industries.

Kang Donghoon, Vice President of SK Geocentric's Green Business Promotion Group, stated, "PBAT is expected to have very high utility due to its rapid decomposition speed and eco-friendliness when buried," adding, "We will continue to expand the production scale of eco-friendly chemical products to accelerate the execution of the 'Carbon to Green' strategy."

Lee Beomhan, Executive Director of Kolon Industries' Technology Headquarters, said, "As plastic waste has recently been identified as a cause of environmental pollution, we are pleased to contribute to solving environmental issues through mass production of biodegradable plastics," and added, "We plan to intensify ESG management to establish ourselves as an eco-friendly company opening a sustainable future."

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