HYOSUNG

With the growing attention towards net zero and environmental awareness, the international community has been mobilizing itself to come up with ways to impose transnational regulations to protect our environment. Industries around the world have also begun paying more attention to ways of doing business that would enable them to co-exist with the environment, going beyond traditional business values of putting economic sense and efficiency first.

The automobile industry is no exception. With the adoption of EVs and hydrogen cars that run without combustion engine, markets are now tilting toward using green raw materials and secondary materials. Tires are also part of this consideration. On top of performance enhancements, tire manufacturers are looking for ways to improve fuel efficiency by cutting down on carbon dioxide emission while putting more emphasis on life cycle assessment. As such, more and more makers are turning to green raw and secondary materials.

Hyosung Advanced Materials has focused on environmental impact and climate change early on and has been pursuing businesses that would help us co-exist with our environment. As a leading tire reinforcement material maker, the company has been pioneering in the development and commercialization of tirecords with green materials. Hyosung has also introduced heavier denier cord for heavy duty tire construction which has improved fuel efficiency of automobiles.

Hyosung Advanced Materials brings a difference to sustainable tirecords too.

A tire cord from a fiber made from wood

Hyosung Advanced Materials had been working on developing an eco-friendly material that could replace rayon reinforcement used for high-performance tires with excellent heat resistance. As a result, the company has developed and been producing lyocell tirecord made from wood pulp cellulose for the first time in the world.

They are 100% biodegradable and emit 30% less greenhouse gases compared to existing rayon or nylon tirecords. Though they are made of eco-friendly materials, their quality and durability are the same as existing conventional tirecords, which are all attributable to Hyosung’s technology and strenuous efforts in R&D.

In addition, its manufacturing process does not emit pollutants such as carbon disulfide or hydrogen sulfide thanks to its eco-friendly manufacturing processes including recycling of solvent extraction and non-reliance on toxic chemicals.

Thus, lyocell tirecord and its manufacturing process heads off polluting the air or water to further contribute to environmental protection. All in all, it is an excellent alternative to high quality tires made of synthetic fibers.

Tires made of eco-friendly PET

Hyosung Advanced Materials has produced industrial-class bio-PET yarns based on ethylene glycol made from sugarcane or corns instead of the conventional way of extracting the material from crude oil.

Hyosung’s bio-PET yarns are used for tirecords and car mats. These eco-friendly yarns are free from depletion of source materials or environmental impact. Some EVs and hydrogen vehicles have already been using products made of Hyosung’s bio-PET yarns.

Since 2020, the company has been working with key vendors to develop PET tirecords made from recycled plastic including PET bottles. Eco-friendly polyester yarn extracted from recycled PET bottles is a product of Hyosung.

As the world’s leading PET tirecord maker, the polyester yarn from the company has been gaining traction and trust from the market around the world.

The recycled-PET yarn has acquired the Global Recycle Standard (GRS) certification from Control Union, the Netherlands based international certification body for eco-friendly businesses.

The GRS certification is known for its thorough review process covering the origins of materials and eco-friendly manufacturing processes as well as the whole production supply chain and traceability of each step. As such, the product with a GRS certification is regarded as eco-friendly over the entire cycle of production.

Hyosung’s recycled PET yarn is as such the most optimal material for next-generation PET tirecords as it meets the requirements of technology and sustainability.

Green tirecords taking leadership in environmental protection

It is notable that Hyosung’s eco-friendly tirecords cut down on carbon dioxide emissions dramatically compared to their conventional counterparts. The recycled PET tirecord made from recycled plastic emits 44% less carbon dioxide while bio PET tirecord made from plant extractions cut carbon emissions by 16%.

Hyosung Advanced Materials aims for a transition of all tirecords products into eco-friendly PET tirecords by 2050. To this end, the company has been working hard on related technological development while collaborating with key vendors.

In addition, the company has been working on developing various eco-friendly PET materials such as new tirecords made from discarded fishing nets and wastes from glass etching process in semiconductor industry. Its eco-friendly product portfolio is in turn only going to grow.

Chemical solutions can be eco-friendly too

For enhanced tire strengths, tirecords have to be dried at a high temperature with a combination of chemical solutions before they are finished in production. Hyosung Advanced Materials has recently developed an eco-friendly solution called ‘Eco Dip’ that can replace the existing chemical solutions and will soon be able to commercially introduce to the market.

Hyosung’s Eco Dip does not use formaldehyde and resorcinol which are regulated under the EU REACH since June 1, 2007 by the EU to protect human health and the environment from the use of chemicals. Eco Dip is expected to contribute to environmental protection by extending the lifecycle of tires with its higher fatigue resistance.

Leading in an era where eco-friendliness is not a choice but a must

Being eco-friendly is no longer a matter of choice but a matter of course.

Consumers can make informed choices based on their respective values when it comes to consumer goods such as clothing, toothbrush or tumbler. However, products such as automobile tires are hidden in the supply chain and thus out of reach for those looking for environmentally friendly products.

Hyosung Advanced Materials has been filling this gap by developing and introducing products such as lyocell, bio-PET and recycled-PET tirecords and materials such as Eco Dip to create a green virtuous cycle.

Hyosung Advanced Materials is committed to realizing a sustainable world for all generations, beyond just wishful thinking. Eco-friendly tirecords initiated by Hyosung are already sailing on fair winds.