This photo provided by Hanwha Solution Corp. shows its plant in Ulsan, about 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean energy solution firm Hanwha Solutions Corp. has expanded the production of eco-friendly plasticizer that is free of environmental hormones in response to growing market demand.
The company said Monday that its Chemical division had increased the output of the eco-friendly plasticizer Eco-DEHCH by 50,000 tons and launched commercial production at its Ulsan plant this month.
Hanwha Solutions succeeded in commercializing Eco-DEHCH in 2017 on the basis of its in-house technology. The company invested 45 billion won (US$40 million) to expand annual output from 15,000 tons to 65,000 tons.
Plasticizer refers to a substance added to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics such as wallpaper and flooring materials to make them softer and more flexible.
Thus far, phthalate-based plasticizers have been employed most commonly despite controversy about their potential to disrupt hormone functions.
Unlike typical phthalate-based plasticizer, the company said that Eco-DEHCH is completely free of phthalate as it makes use of state-of-the-art hydrogen addition technology.
Eco-DEHCH is replacing phthalate-based plasticizer in wallpaper, flooring materials, and mattresses for children, with demand for home improvement products on the rise in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
