Hyosung Develops Eco-Friendly Catalyst Replacing Harmful Heavy Metals, Wins 'Sejong Daewang Award'

Development Started in 2017... World's First Developed and Mass-Produced in 3 Years
Cho Hyun-jun: "Focusing on ESG Management and Eco-Friendly Technological Innovation Through VOC Listening"

Hyosung received the Sejong the Great Award, the grand prize of the 2022 Korea Patent Technology Awards, for being the first in the world to successfully develop an antimony-free catalyst for eco-friendly polyester. The photo shows Kim Cheon-gi, Deputy General Manager of Hyosung Technical Institute and the lead inventor. Photo by Hyosung

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] Hyosung has become the first in the world to develop an eco-friendly catalyst necessary for polyester fiber manufacturing and received the Sejong the Great Award.

According to Hyosung on the 3rd, at the '2022 Korea Patent Technology Awards Ceremony' held at EL Tower in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, they received the grand prize, the Sejong the Great Award, for successfully developing the eco-friendly polyester catalyst ‘Antimony-Free’ in 2020.

The representative inventor, Kim Cheon-gi, deputy head of the Nylon Polyester Polymerization Research Team at Hyosung Technical Institute, received the award that day.

The Patent Technology Award is a system where the Korean Intellectual Property Office annually discovers and awards domestic patents that have contributed to innovative new technologies and industrial development. The awards are given based on comprehensive evaluation of ▲technical significance ▲product differentiation and innovation ▲actual business feasibility, with honors such as the Sejong the Great Award, Chungmugong Award, Jiseok Young Award, Hong Daeyong Award, and Jeong Yak-yong Award.

Hyosung’s developed ‘Antimony-Free’ is an eco-friendly catalyst that replaces the ‘antimony’ catalyst used in polyester product manufacturing. Antimony is one of the eight major hazardous heavy metals, and although leading domestic and international companies have attempted to develop replacement products, commercialization had failed.

Antimony-Free is a catalyst based on tin (Sn), a non-toxic heavy metal to humans and the environment. Hyosung started development in 2017 and completed the technology in just three years in 2020, successfully mass-producing products using it.

Using the Antimony-Free catalyst can reduce the catalyst input amount to one-tenth compared to before. It also cuts plastic waste emissions generated during polyester product manufacturing by more than half compared to existing catalysts. Improvements in production processes and product quality are also expected.

Hyosung plans to use the Antimony-Free catalyst in all polyester fiber manufacturing by next year and is conducting pilot production to proactively respond to major customers’ eco-friendly fiber needs. To increase adoption in the global market, patent registrations are underway in the U.S., China, as well as Europe and India.

Additionally, Hyosung plans to expand catalyst use in polyester-based products produced by its major affiliates, including polyester tire cords, which hold a 45% global market share, as well as ▲films ▲PET bottles ▲automotive fibers.

Cho Hyun-joon, Chairman of Hyosung Group, stated, “We will listen carefully to the VOC of customers worldwide, quickly grasp their changes, and focus more on ESG management and eco-friendly technological innovation to achieve it.”

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