This photo provided by Kumho Petrochemical Co. shows the company’s petrochemical complex of Yeosu, 455 kilometers south of Seoul.
SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean chemicals maker Kumho Petrochemical Co. said Thursday that it will produce an eco-friendly synthetic rubber compound using a bio-material made of rice bran, a byproduct of the rice milling process.
The company plans to make silica, a material capable of improving the fuel efficiency, braking power and wear resistance of synthetic rubber for tires, by using rice bran extracts.
After extracting natural silica contained in the ash of carbonized rice bran, the company will turn it into bio-silica that can be used for petrochemical products.
The company explained that this method can reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide by up to 70 percent compared to existing methods.
The eco-friendly synthetic rubber compound made of bio-silica will be supplied to major tire and shoe makers in and outside Korea.
Taking the growth potential of the bio-silica market into consideration, Kumho Petrochemical plans to expand its synthetic rubber production capacity from the current 63,000 tons to 123,000 tons by the end of next year.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
