Kumho Petrochemical Mass-Produces Automotive Interior Parts with Recycled ABS... Wins Jang Youngsil Award

Kumho Petrochemical has received the Jang Youngsil Award for its technology that advances recycled plastics for use as automotive interior materials.

Kumho Petrochemical representatives are receiving the Jang Youngsil Award. Kumho Petrochemical

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On the 15th, Kumho Petrochemical announced that its recycled ABS (a plastic material resistant to impact and heat) technology, jointly developed with Seoyon E-Hwa and Hyundai Motor Company researchers, was awarded the IR52 Jang Youngsil Award for the 12th week of 2026.

The Jang Youngsil Award is one of the most prestigious awards in the industrial technology field, selected through a comprehensive evaluation by academic and government experts of technological innovation, marketability, and economic impact. Kumho Petrochemical has received the award a total of six times since 1996, and this is its first recognition in the energy and environment sector.

This award acknowledges the achievement of developing heat-resistant ABS materials for automotive interiors using recycled ABS collected from discarded electronics, and applying them to mass-produced vehicles in Korea for the first time. Previously, the use of recycled ABS in high-quality applications such as automobiles was limited by issues such as thermal degradation, contamination, and inconsistent properties.

To overcome these limitations, Kumho Petrochemical developed heat-resistant ABS by applying heat-resistant SAN (a plastic material that enhances heat resistance and strength) based design and advanced compounding technology. The company evaluated more than 50 types of recycled materials and identified the optimal combination through quality improvements with suppliers and data analysis.

The developed heat-resistant ABS uses more than 20% recycled raw materials, reduces carbon emissions by about 16%, and meets automotive parts requirements for VOCs (volatile organic compounds), heat resistance, impact strength, and appearance quality. As a result, it has been applied to actual vehicle parts production, demonstrating the potential for high-value applications of recycled materials.

A Kumho Petrochemical official stated, "This is an example of transforming recycled materials from simple substitutes to structural materials that meet performance standards," adding, "We will continue to strengthen our competitiveness in the high-value-added materials market."

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