Discovering Hyosung Advanced Materials Hidden in Today’s Mobility Solutions
One could say that another word for mobility is freedom- the freedom to leave for someplace anytime from anywhere. Mobility allows us to circumvent the constraints of space and time. Commuting to work every morning, meeting with friends, going on a trip or taking a short break, and meeting family members who live far away, all these things would be difficult without mobility. Mobility has been a part of human life for a long time. In comparison with walking at an average speed of 4 km/h, traveling at an average speed of 80 km/h in a car each day seems beyond human capability. Since mobility entails great risks, high-performance components and materials that provide safety and convenience are essential in moving vehicles. Hyosung Advanced Materials, a global specialist in materials, supplies a considerable variety of such materials. Do you know how many Hyosung products there are inside a single car? Today, we’ll take a close look at some of the Hyosung Advanced Materials products that are hidden in automobiles. Introduction to Mobility (101), Safety Devices in Cars Do you remember your very first driving lesson? When you take driving lessons, the first thing you learn is how to put on the safety belt. Hyosung Advanced Materials is the world’s top supplier of polyester yarn for seatbelts. Just as a top supplier should, Hyosung Advanced Materials realized the importance of yarn in automobile seatbelts long ago and has been producing seatbelt yarns since 1987. As the material for seatbelts directly affects safety, the company pursued a high degree of durability without missing any tiny details. Seatbelts produced by Hyosung Advanced Materials have excellent dyeability and wear resistance as well as tight control over appearance Today it produces diverse types of seatbelt yarn (low denier, black spun dyed, etc.) that meet different needs. It is claimed that seatbelts alone can reduce the car accident fatality rate by 45%; therefore, you must never forget to fasten your seatbelt whenever you get in a car. Hyosung Advanced Materials is the only top global company to manufacture all of the airbag yarns, fabrics, coatings, and cushions that make up an airbag. Airbags have a variety of shapes and functions, not just for the steering wheel but for other places inside a car, too. The driver airbag, or DAB, is installed in the steering wheel to protect the driver, while the passenger airbag (PAB) protects the person in the front passenger seat, and the knee airbag is designed to protect the knees. Meanwhile, the curtain airbag drops from the ceiling and offers protection against side collisions, while the side airbag (SAB) inflates from the side of the seat to protect the upper torso of the passenger. The airbag cushions made by Hyosung Advanced Materials that go into these different types of airbags can be found hidden in various parts of your car. Hyosung Advanced Materials manufactures airbag fabrics and owns Global Safety Textiles (GST), the world's largest airbag fabric supplier. A world leader in airbag fabric manufacturing, Hyosung Advanced Materials excels in both technology and quality. Global manufacturing hubs in North America, Europe, and Asia provide the company’s products worldwide. A shoe that fits your car perfectly! What is the only part of an automobile that comes into direct contact with the surface of the road? It is the tire, of course. Tires, which we could say are the shoes of the car, hugely affect ride quality, handling, vibration, noise, and fuel efficiency – qualities that are generally considered to be the basic characteristics of any car. In addition, tires must be able to withstand unpredictable road conditions and the weight of the whole vehicle. For these reasons, reinforcements like tire cords are essential components of automobile tires. With its own technology, Hyosung Advanced Materials successfully developed the country’s first nylon-based tire cord in 1968, followed by of a polyester-based tire cord in 1978. Each tire cord is assembled from several different parts, each of which requires its own unique material. The tire cords developed by Hyosung Advanced Materials, as well as other tire reinforcements made by the company, can be found in the tires of the car you are driving today. In addition to PET tire cords, currently the world's bestselling tire cord, Hyosung Advanced Materials also manufactures nylon tire cords, steel cords, and bead-wire and supplies them to global tire manufacturers. It can be argued that one out of every two cars in the world uses PET tire cords made by Hyosung Advanced Materials. These days, a great deal of research and development are being conducted on tire reinforcements to meet the growing demand for environmentally-friendly mobility solutions. Recently, Hyosung Advanced Materials has developed high-strength PET tire cords and aramid-based tire cords to enhance fuel efficiency, and these are already being used in many tire products. In addition, the company is currently developing recycled PET made with discarded PET bottles, recycled steel cords made using an induction furnace, bead wire technology, and tire cords made from environmentally-friendly materials like bio-based PET and bio-based nylon. Will a new wonderous material show up in my car? Are you a person who drives a hydrogen car to preserve and protect the environment? The carbon fiber manufactured by Hyosung Advanced Materials is also used as the material for hydrogen fuel tanks. To store and transport hydrogen safely, a large container is needed due to its a high weight-to-energy density ratio and a large volume. For this reason, hydrogen is usually compressed with high pressure for storage purposes. Carbon fiber is the most suitable material for this purpose due to its low weight, high elasticity, and excellent thermal conductivity. Originally developed by Hyosung Advanced Materials in South Korea, carbon fiber is ten times stronger and seven times more elastic than steel. A hydrogen fuel storage tank made of carbon fiber weighs only half as much as a similarly-sized tank made of metal and thus can increase the fuel efficiency of vehicles. Besides the hydrogen fuel storage tank, carbon fiber’s excellent strength and light weight have made it an ideal material for a broad range of car components designed to increase fuel efficiency. Carbon fiber is used as the main material for monocoques (a type of automobile frame), wheels, bonnets, and sunroof frames, and its scope of application continues to expand. In order to meet the increasing demand for carbon fiber, Hyosung Advanced Materials is planning to invest a total of one trillion won by 2028. This will enable it to expand the capacity of its Jeonju plant to 24,000 tons. Phase 2 of this expansion project has already been completed, and Phase 3 is scheduled for completion in April 2023. Transforming your car into your own personal hideout! As a temporary refuge from adverse weather conditions like cold winds and a form of escape from a hectic, noisy world, a car can provide a cozy private escape. This is why so many of us like to take a drive whenever we need to clear our minds. Hyosung Advanced Materials is a leading supplier of car carpets, which make our car the most comfortable places to hide away. Floor carpets and mats are the two main types of carpets installed in cars. Floor carpets are molded to fit the shape of a car’s steel frame and are essential components of a car, unlike mats which are classed as an optional feature. As well as providing comfort and cushioning, carpets reduce noise and vibration and absorbing impacts. On the other hand, mats that are laid on top of the floor carpet help to prevent the floor carpet (which is difficult to replace) from getting contaminated by dirt and moisture while simultaneously serving as a cushion that relieves fatigue in one’s feet and improve the aesthetic of the interior of a car. Hyosung Advanced Materials produces carpets using BCF (bulked continuous filament) method, which makes them unique. With this method, each strand of yarn is produced individually, which results in a special yarn with excellent bulkiness (the characteristic of swelling in volume) and restoring force (the characteristic of bouncing back when pressed). Passengers and driver’s shoes always contact carpets, which wear out the carpet quickly. However, car carpets made with BCF yarn do not wear out easily compared to those made with regular nonwoven yarn, thanks to their ability to bulk up like a cotton ball. Floor carpets made from BCF yarn also reduce interior noise in cars by as much as 30%. It is undeniable that BCF is an essential product for comfortable driving. Today, we’ve examined in detail some of the products by Hyosung Advanced Materials makes for automobile. From safety to ride comfort, Hyosung Advanced Materials assumes responsibility for the quality of your car through its unstinting focus on material engineering. Providing uniform quality and flexible services to its customers is one of the hallmarks of Hyosung Advanced Materials.
2023-03-24
The Use of Hydrogen in Our Daily Lives Is No Longer Just a Dream for Future Generations!
What is the first thing that springs to mind when you think of the word ‘hydrogen’? You might think of it as something that exists in abundance all around us, as one of the elements of water (H2O) that could be extracted, or as a gas that doesn’t cause environmental pollution and could be used as an energy system – images that suggest ease of supply and environmental friendliness. A hydrogen car propelled by hydrogen is one of the first images that come to mind. Indeed, mobility is one of the sectors where hydrogen is actively used. As a hydrogen specialist company, Hyosung is a group whose subsidiaries are cooperating with various businesses to develop the hydrogen mobility market. However, when people speak about ‘environment-friendly’ cars, most people equate them with battery-powered cars (FCEV) rather than hydrogen-powered cars (BEV) because electric cars have long been viewed as the mobility solution that will eventually replace internal combustion engine cars. But the days are not far off when hydrogen-powered cars on the streets will be a common sight. Let’s consider why hydrogen is attracting interest as the energy source of the future by examining the characteristics of hydrogen-powered cars that could make them an engine of growth in the mobility markets of the future. Q. What are the main reasons hydrogen attracts interest as a future energy resource? The first reason has to do with the environment-friendly nature of hydrogen. Hydrogen is an infinite energy source and a universal resource that exists in abundance in water and on Earth. This is backed up by evidence: hydrogen constitutes 75% of the universe’s mass and 90% of its molecules. Furthermore, hydrogen does not emit any air pollutants that produce greenhouse effects, unlike the carbon dioxide (and small amounts of nitrogen) generated by the burning of fossil fuels. Because hydrogen can be converted back to the water, hydrogen can also be recycled after it has been used to produce energy. The second reason for the growing interest in hydrogen is that it can be used in many industries that require energy. Hydrogen fuel cells can power airplanes and cars. Hydrogen gas can replace traditional LPG for cooking in residential homes, heating buildings, and generating electric power. Although hydrogen as a fuel is perfectly safe, Hyosung Heavy Industries is paying close attention to the its safe transportation and storage because the market for liquid hydrogen is growing. Hydrogen is transported and sold as a liquid because its volume is reduced significantly when hydrogen gas is compressed into its liquid form. Therefore, before high-pressure tanks containing liquid hydrogen are installed in vehicles, Hyosung Heavy Industries conducts rigorous safety tests such as flameproof, collision, and leakage tests. It also manufactures and supplies the nylon liner resin needed to stop hydrogen leaks. Q. I am curious about the state of the hydrogen market today. Do you think hydrogen could succeed globally? The conventional cars with internal combustion engines that people drive are responsible for most of the environmental pollution we see today. According to the Ministry of Environment's Greenhouse Gas Information System, South Korea generated 727.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2018, of which 98.1 million tons (13.5%) were produced by the transportation sector, which includes automobiles. This is why the advantages of hydrogen and electric cars are being hyped to such a remarkable extent. Of the two, many people already drive electric vehicles, but their shortcomings, namely the lack of charging infrastructures and faster charging technology, still need to be fully resolved. The batteries used in electric cars are relatively inexpensive. Since many companies are investing heavily in hydrogen technology, there are signs that these problems will be resolved, making the hydrogen market look more favorable. However, with hydrogen cars, the availability of hydrogen as a fuel and the fact that they discharge only water instead of exhaust gas makes it easy to handle unexpected situations involving fuels. However, hydrogen cars require more advanced technologies and are sold at premium prices that are 60-70%. More expensive (the high cost of hydrogen fuel cells being the main factor) than electric cars, consumer prices are expected to fall in the future as the market expands, and the production and supply of hydrogen cars will increase, leading to improved productivity. Q. Hydrogen car vs. battery-powered electric car: which is better? Hydrogen and electric cars differ in how fuel is generated and recharged. Hydrogen cars are powered by electricity generated by combining hydrogen atoms with oxygen atoms, whereas electric vehicles are powered by electric charges stored in their batteries. Thus, a hydrogen car generates the electricity it needs to move by itself. Furthermore, hydrogen has the advantage of being lighter with a very high energy density compared to batteries. While the battery capacity of a typical electric car is 60kwh, 1kg of hydrogen contains 33.3kwh of energy. This means that the same amount of energy can be stored with just 2kg of hydrogen. In fact, hydrogen cars not only boast a short charging time but can travel 600 m on a single charge. On the other hand, electric vehicles require long charging times and can only travel 300-400km on a single charge. In particular, there are no benefits to be gained from making electric versions of commercial vehicles like buses and trucks because the long distances require massive amounts of energy, which can only be supplied with a heavy battery and longer charging times. Therefore, hydrogen technologies are being developed primarily for commercial vehicles where there is a clear advantage to using hydrogen power. Europe introduced hydrogen-powered buses over ten years ago. In South Korea, cities like Jeju, Busan, and Pohang are introducing hydrogen-powered buses, and Ulsan is planning to pilot a hydrogen-powered tram service in 2023, which will become the first service of its kind in the world. Meanwhile, over 50,000 hydrogen-powered forklifts have already been sold in the United States. Due to their dependence on raw materials like cobalt, nickel, and lithium and the issue of discarded batteries, electric cars have come under considerable criticism for not being a completely environment-friendly solution. In contrast, hydrogen cars are relatively free from such criticism because when green hydrogen is used as a fuel, vehicles could be operated as a completely non-polluting mobility solution. Q. So, why is there more publicity and hype surrounding electric cars than hydrogen cars? The reason is simple – a greater number of electric cars have been sold than hydrogen cars. A comparison of the global sales figures for 2021 shows that 4.73 million electric cars were sold that year, against only 15,500 hydrogen cars. The South Korean government plans to increase the number of charging stations to around 510,000 by 2025, but the number of hydrogen refueling stations under this plan will be only 450. A huge gap of this magnitude is largely attributable to inadequate support infrastructure. Charging stations for electric vehicles only leave a small footprint and are relatively cheap to install, whereas hydrogen refueling stations require a large area and are more expensive. But investments are still being made in hydrogen-powered cars because the energy content of hydrogen is three times that provided by an internal combustion engine, and it is far more environmentally friendly. Governments all around the world are working hard to find ways of quickly installing as many hydrogen refueling stations as possible. Recently, the European Union tabled a bill to increase the number of refueling stations aggressively. If this bill becomes law, Europeans will see a tenfold increase in the number of hydrogen refueling stations on the continent, rising from the current 150 to over 1,500 by 2030. Hyosung Heavy Industries, the top hydrogen refueling station supplier in South Korea, is also leading the effort to build more hydrogen refueling infrastructure to meet the growing demand. There are just twenty five hydrogen refueling stations in operation around the country, but fifteen additional stations are now under construction. Q. What was the hot topic of discussion in the hydrogen industry just now? Right now, liquefied hydrogen is the area that’s attracting all the attention of the hydrogen industry. Liquefied hydrogen means precisely what it suggests. It is hydrogen in the form of a liquid, created when hydrogen is cooled to below minus 253 degrees Celsius. There is a sound reason why people are using hydrogen in its liquid form despite it being a gas in its natural state. Hydrogen gas must be compressed at high pressure to store it in large volumes before it can be stored. High compression requires containers with thick walls, which will be heavy and relatively inefficient for transporting hydrogen gas. Compressed hydrogen gas still occupies a huge volume, so acquiring sufficient land to construct refueling stations could be somewhat problematic. Liquefied hydrogen has 1/800 the volume of hydrogen in its gas state and, therefore, could be kept at atmospheric pressure, relieving operators from the burden of handling highly compressed gas. Because of its reduced volume, ten times more hydrogen can be transported in the liquid state. This advantage naturally implies that the space required to build a refueling station would be smaller, with lower facility costs and transportation costs, making hydrogen more economically feasible. To accelerate the adoption of liquefied hydrogen, Hyosung Heavy Industries has partnered with Linde Group of Ireland to build a liquefied hydrogen plant in South Korea. This plant, currently being built in Ulsan, is scheduled to operate in May 2023. Once completed, it can produce 13,000 tons of hydrogen per year. Hyosung is planning to increase the plant’s capacity to 39,000 tons per year by expanding it and building new facilities. In the hydrogen business, Hyosung Heavy Industries is concentrating all its efforts on constructing core hydrogen infrastructures and refueling stations. The company will also construct Ulsan’s first hydrogen refueling station when its liquid hydrogen plant goes into operation. By the end of next year, the company will complete the construction of four other refueling stations at various locations across the country, including Gwangyang, Gyeongsan, and Geoje. It also plans to construct new refueling stations at thirty other places across the country in the longer term. Q. We are curious about the future of hydrogen use in our daily lives! Hydrogen is an energy of the future that is being adopted by many countries to protect the environment. Passenger cars, buses, and trucks are our daily lives in the mobility ecosystem. Hydrogen will be widely used in passenger cars, buses, trucks, trams, trains, airplanes, drones, UAM, equipment, forklifts, ships, and submarines. Hydrogen will soon flow directly into our homes through our LPG city gas pipelines. The South Korean government has developed a hydrogen supply via the existing LPG pipelines by mixing it with LPG (80%combiningnd 20% hydrogen), and a stem has been in operation since this year. Supplying hydrogen by mixing it with LPG is an idea that is being tested in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Now that you have learned all about hydrogen, don’t you think it’s much closer to us than you imagined? As the leading company in the hydrogen economy, Hyosung will lay the foundations for bringing hydrogen to your daily lives. A future with a cleaner environment made possible by environmentally friendly energy awaits us all, a future where we can all drive hydrogen cars.
2023-03-20
POKETONE™, the safer plastic for everyday products
Watching your child play, you may wonder if children’s toys are truly safe for your child to play with. One day, your child may be stacking toy blocks one by one, when suddenly you see the small, chubby hands putting the toy up to his or her mouth. At that moment, your mind flashes back to the news you saw on television the other day about the potential harm of plastic toys. However, you have nothing to worry about if the toy is made from an eco-friendly polymer material called polyketone, which was first commercialized by Hyosung Chemical and marketed under the brand name POKETONE™. Because we want our children to hold only good things in their hands Toys are essential tools for a child's cognitive and social development, as well as for developing fine motor skills and fostering a creative mind. Toys made from plastic are usually lightweight and will not cause injuries even if your child drops or throws them. They are easy to wash and dry if they get dirty, so they are relatively easy-care. When your child plays with plastic toys in the swimming pool, you have nothing to worry about because plastic toys do not get deformed or decay in water. However, despite their many advantages, plastics have had their share of controversies. To make soft plastic toys that are also durable, plasticizers that soften hard plastic must be used as additives. In general many parents do not necessarily check whether the toys you buy for your child are made with environment-friendly plasticizers or that the toys themselves are made with materials that are harmless to the human body. However, your child may become exposed to such hormones and carcinogens. In particular, phthalates, which are additives used in the production of a popular plastic-based material called PVC (polyvinyl chloride), contain high levels of environmental hormones and carcinogens. This dangerous substance can even cause autism and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in children. Plastics can also pose a never-ending issue. A few years ago, a huge controversy arose when baby bottle sterilizers were found to contain microplastics. Hyosung Chemical, having recognized the importance of addressing such concerns and preventing risks, succeeded in developing the innovative plastic by the brand name POKETONE™, which has exceptionally strong chemical resistance. Hyosung Chemical’s POKETONE™ contains no hazardous substances like phthalates, formaldehyde, halogens, heavy metals, or organic residues. POKETONE™ is a safe material that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved as being harmless to the human body. It is an outstanding engineering plastic with better properties with similar materials. It has an impact strength that is 2.3 times better and chemical resistance that is 30% more effective than nylon, a material already widely known for its robustness. Its properties hardly change in the presence of moisture, and its ability to resist wear is more than fourteen times better than POM (polyacetal), a material whose wear resistance is at the top of the charts. POKETONE™ can also block out gas very effectively, which is why it is being used extensively in diverse industrial applications. Polyketone is extremely difficult to produce, and despite the continuous research that has been carried out on this material, it was never commercialized. In 2004, however, Hyosung Chemical launched a project to research POKETONE™ with the aim of developing an innovative plastic that would be safer and more sustainable for future generations. Finally, after ten years of R&D, the company succeeded in developing POKETONE™ in 2013. In 2015, it completed all the preparations for its commercialization, which included designing a manufacturing plant and forming a business unit. To this day, Hyosung Chemical is the only company in the world to possess POKETONE™ commercialization technology. POKETONE™, a material that is present in every aspect of our daily lives! POKETONE™, with its excellent safety and attributes, can be found in every aspect of our daily lives, not just in toys. One industry where POKETONE™ is widely used in the food industry, where the importance of safety cannot be understated. POKETONE™, which is harmless to the human body and resistant to moisture, is also used as the material of the components that go into water purifiers. Due to its excellent chemical- and wear-resisting characteristics, it is also used as a material for food conveyor components. POKETONE™ is even used in the production of the food trays that we see every day in cafeterias and schools. When we are eating, invisible particles inevitably fall off our spoons and chopsticks. However, no harmful substances are detected in POKETONE™ because it is so resistant to wear, which also means that it is resistant to friction. Furthermore, when it is used as a material for gear components, POKETONE™ reduces noise, leading to a more pleasant working environment in manufacturing facilities. Another application of POKETONE™ is the cosmetics container, a product that comes into direct contact with our skin. Due to the chemical- and oil-resisting characteristics of POKETONE™, the cosmetic product held by a container made with POKETONE™ does not get altered, and the cosmetic is preserved in its original state. Unlike other substances that leave organic residues that are harmful to the human body, POKETONE™ has been certified as a safe product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is commonly used in the manufacture of everyday items such as shower parts, all manner of sports goods ranging from tennis rackets to golf tees. The scope of its application is expanding continuously. There are many advantages to using POKETONE™ in pumps that move liquids like water and cosmetics in liquid form. Metals rust and this rust can contaminate the contents in a pump. But when POKETONE™ is used instead, concerns about contamination are completely alleviated, and moreover, the recyclability of the pump can be improved. Because POKETONE™ is resistant to impacts and fire, it is also used as the material for water meters and electric power meters. In 2016, Hyosung Chemical launched POKETONE™ in overseas markets, and since then, it has become a strong seller in many countries in Asia, including China, as well as in the European and North American markets. ‘Environment-friendly Plastic’ - the more we make, the more we think about how to increase its benefits. POKETONE™ is a material that is not only harmless to the human body but possesses excellent properties, too. Would you believe this material is even environment-friendly? POKETONE™ is produced with carbon monoxide, the chief culprit of air pollution. Carbon monoxide is released in massive amounts as a byproduct in steel-making factories or when fossil fuels, biomass, and waste materials are converted into gas. When carbon monoxide is burned, it is transformed into carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas that we know so well. POKETONE™ was born through the transformation of carbon monoxide into a new resource instead of allowing it to be released as a harmful gas that threatens the Earth. POKETONE™ is an environmentally friendly engineering plastic whose production process by itself contributes to reducing environmental pollution. In fact, the results of life cycle assessments (LCA) conducted by certification authorities have shown that the production process for POKETONE™ has a far less harmful impact on the environment than that of other similar materials. Life cycle assessment quantifies the input and output materials of the entire production process and analyzes the overall impact on the environment, and is performed according to international guidelines. The invention of plastic and the following advances have made it possible for people today to purchase numerous household items at very affordable prices and store food for long periods. However, despite its history of bringing revolutionary changes and remarkable progress, plastics are now blamed for all sorts of dangerous effects and environmental pollution. All living organisms and humans are entirely exposed to the “revenge” of microplastics and environmental hormones, the remnants of the ‘plastic revolution.’ Under these circumstances, the invention of POKETONE™ was a challenge that Hyosung Chemical had to take up in order to protect mankind, the environment, and the health of all living organisms. The plastic revolution of the twentieth century brought endless conveniences to mankind. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, Hyosung Chemical is resuming this revolution with POKETONE™. Hyosung Chemical continues to carry out innovation research today, just as it did in the past and will do in the future, so that everyone in the world can use plastic with perfect peace of mind!
2023-03-13
Together, for better value: Our efforts to combat climate change!
Mankind and nature have always coexisted. Nature has always been an integral part of human existence and humans have been a part of nature’s history. Because mankind cannot exist without nature, mankind must find a way to coexist and prosper with nature. In order to create a natural environment where sustainability is guaranteed, the ability of individuals, enterprises and the world to coexist, the value of ‘togetherness’ is now more important than ever before. Many people around the world today are working feverishly to combat climate change on multiple fronts. All these human efforts are being made for the sake of one goal: ‘the coexistence of mankind and nature’. This goal is the very definition and objective of ‘living well together by helping each other’. There is a company that practices this value of ‘togetherness’, the very meaning of coexistence. That company is Hyosung TNC! According to the UN, the fashion industry is responsible for about 8-10% of CO2 emissions, the main cause of climate change. Hyosung TNC, which manufactures textile yarns for the fashion industry, is the world’s top maker of spandex. As a responsible member of the industry, the company has been introducing many types of eco-friendly products over the years with the hope of contributing to the mitigation of the climate change crisis. The brand that symbolizes the company’s efforts in this regard is regen®, a recycled yarn brand. To produce and supply regen®, Hyosung is collaborating with a slew of fashion companies and organizations and creating the value of mutual growth. regen® is not the only example of the sustainability drive being pursued by Hyosung TNC. Hyosung TNC is ceaselessly researching new ways of reducing carbon emissions throughout the lifecycle of its products. Today, we at Hyosung TNC intend to fully disclose the details of our environmental activities. Transition to environmentally-friendly fuels Hyosung TNC’s factories were able to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions significantly after switching to low carbon energy sources. The factories receive waste heat (a renewable energy source) from nearby household waste incineration centers, after which biogas generated by the anaerobic digestion tank of the wastewater treatment plant is fed into the boilers. The company’s Gumi factory has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by replacing B-C oil with LNG and LPG gas. Until recently, B-C oil was widely used in the manufacturing sector because it was cheap and had high energy efficiency, but it was blamed for polluting the environment because it produced diverse pollutants including soot. Therefore, the Gumi factory gradually increased the substitution of B-C oil, the source of so many pollutants, and reached a milestone in November 2019 when it stopped using it completely. Hyosung TNC is paving the way forward as a global leader that considers the value of the environment, rather than as one that thinks only about minimizing costs to boost efficiencies. 1) Reducing GHG emissions through improved processes and the construction of a smart energy platform The environmental investment plan for each factory is the one thing that Hyosung TNC never forgets to prepare every year. The company is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions through energy savings that are concretized in the yearly environment investment plans. Every year, Hyosung implements the environment investment plan thoroughly and strictly according to the schedules set forth in the plan. Manufacturing processes are improved to cut down on energy usage rates, while equipment like motors, freezers and air compressors are replaced with high efficiency ones. In addition, in 2020, Hyosung TNC’s Daegu factory participated in the ‘Seongseo Industrial Complex Smart Energy Platform Construction Project’ launched by the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation. In this project, twenty instruments were installed in facilities that consume large amounts of electricity, and a Factory Energy Management System (FEMS) was set up in the factory. The FEMS is a system that enables energy to be used effectively in a factory thanks to the application of information communication technologies and computing software. It analyzes how much energy is used by a particular facility, forecasts the level of energy demand, and calculates the appropriate energy usage rate and costs. With the deployment of the FEMS, Hyosung TNC is able to operate its facilities more efficiently because it can determine in real time where and when energy is used and then make adjustments to the amount of energy to be supplied. 2) Building a GHG inventory at global factories Depending on the nature and scope of emission rates, greenhouse gas emissions can be classified into Scope 1 (direct emissions), Scope 2 (indirect emissions), or Scope 3 (other emissions). Hyosung TNC not only monitors and manages the scope 1 greenhouse gases directly emitted by its factories, but also manages indirectly emitted scope 2 greenhouse gases. To build an inventory of greenhouse gases at its global factories, and not just its factories in South Korea, the company calculates scope 1 and scope 2 emission rates at the factories run by its subsidiaries in China (Hyosung Spandex Jiaxing Co. Ltd.), Republic of Türkiye (Hyosung Istanbul Tekstil Ltd.), and Vietnam (Hyosung Dong Nai Ltd.). In the case of its domestic factories, Hyosung TNC even calculates its scope 3 emission rates (i.e. emissions across the entire value chain) voluntarily and reports the data to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). With the aim of building greenhouse gas inventories and controlling the emission rates of all its global factories, the company is planning to gradually introduce the calculation of scope 3 emission rates to its other factories. By managing indirect emission rates and emission rates at its overseas subsidiaries, Hyosung TNC is working hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 3) Gradual transition to environmentally-friendly businesses As mentioned earlier, Hyosung TNC is a global fabric producer that supplies, in close collaboration with global fashion brands, environmentally-friendly yarns made from recycled materials which are sold under the brand name regen®. Through ceaseless research and development activities, the company is also introducing an entire product lineup that will expand the functionalities of regen®-based products. For example, it supplies recycled yarn made from post-consumer waste materials (waste materials discarded by end consumers) such as PET bottles and used fishing nets, and pre-consumer waste materials (waste materials generated before a product reaches the consumer), with the latter being a by-product of the manufacturing process. Recycled yarns not only help to reduce the amount of waste buried in landfills, but also lower the use of petroleum resources during the production of normal yarns, which in turn naturally aids the environment because lower petroleum resource usage means lower carbon dioxide emissions and energy usage. Hyosung TNC is also leading the pro-environmental movement of the industry by manufacturing bio-based products, which require less water and generate less carbon than conventional yarns and are made from non-edible ingredients. 4) Spreading a pro-environment culture within the company In 2021, Hyosung TNC’s main office in Mapo-gu launched a campaign to reduce the use of disposable products that are indiscriminately used and thrown away in the office. This campaign involved the participation of all executives and employees working at the main office. Today, employees use their own personal tumblers (slightly less handy but longer lasting) rather than the disposable paper cups. By using personal tumblers as a substitute for easy-to-discard paper cups, the company anticipates that this will translate into a greenhouse gas emission rate reduction of around two tons per year, while costs can be saved for roughly 190,000 paper cups that were used in the main office each year. Another notable campaign is the ‘Internal campaign to reuse regen’ launched in 2022. For this campaign, which is now in its second year of operation, special bins have been installed in the company’s main office building in Mapo-gu to collect discarded PET bottles, which are then recycled and used as a material for making environment-friendly fashion items for distributing to employees. The PET bottles discarded in the office are also collected and recycled as Hyosung TNC’s environmentally-friendly regen® polyester yarn, which is used to make bags and t-shirts for the employees. In 2022, 8,831 PET bottles were collected - an effect equivalent to 37 pine trees absorbing carbon dioxide for thirty years. The campaign is continuously improving the brand awareness of regen®, the company’s flagship environmental brand, as well as cultivating a positive mindset among employees regarding their personal participation in the recycling of resources. Hyosung TNC also organizes an annual ideas contest with the aim of finding novel ways to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, in the hopes that increased awareness of the issue among employees could lead to deeper cuts in the company’s carbon dioxide emission rates. This ideas contest has produced some tangible results. For example, Hyosung TNC’s Nylon Polymerization Team at the Ulsan factory proposed the innovative idea of raising the production density of thickeners in the recovery process to reduce the use of energy. If this idea is realized, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by up to 8 tons in a single year, which is a big motivator for Hyosung TNC to review this idea in earnest. We live in an era of rapidly changing times and trends which inevitably lead to the production of huge amounts of disposable items, trash, and fast fashion (SPA). The resulting pollution poses a threat to the health not only of everyone now living on Earth but also to future generations of mankind. As if the pollution of land is not enough, the plastic waste that seeps into the oceans is creating huge offshore islands, and as the plastic exposed to sunlight cools, it discharges greenhouse gases. These greenhouse gases then reflect the sunlight back to the surface of the earth, making our world even hotter. After floating on the seas for a long time, waste materials eventually disintegrate into tiny pieces, which are then eaten by sea creatures who mistake them for food, with often disastrous consequences. Ultimately, these waste materials pass through the food chain and end up in the bodies of humans. This is a major problem that cannot be resolved through the efforts of one person or one organization alone. The problem requires the interest of the wider international community and commitment and efforts from all of us. This is why Hyosung TNC, as the world’s top producer of spandex, seeks to play an active role in tackling the problem with a sense of responsibility. In tune with its reputation as a global top player, Hyosung TNC will design a sustainable future for all generations based on its environment-oriented business, so that everyone can welcome a future in which they can live safely in a clean environment. At every moment, Hyosung TNC considers sustainable progress for all generations, present and future. indeed, the choices we make as a business will always place "togetherness" in our pursuit of valuable customers like you who yearn for a brighter future.
2023-03-10
How Wind Turbine Blades Work to Produce Energy
We celebrate Global Wind Day on June 15 to highlight the power and possibilities that wind energy can provide to better protect our environment. People often take wind for granted, but wind has the potential to provide us with endless energy. How wind turbine works The RE100 campaign (Renewable Electricity 100%) aims to convert all electricity sources of company to 100% renewable energy by 2050, while wind, solar, and water sources receive attention. Many companies are particularly paying attention to wind power for its great potentials. Did you know if Hyosung Heavy Industries is one of them? The workings of wind power turbines are the first thing we need to understand before diving into Hyosung’s wind power business. Wind turbines are composed of blades, tower and nacelle. A nacelle consist of a gear box and generator. The gear box accelerates the blades from low speed to high speed. Generator convert mechanical energy into electric energy. To put it simply, once wind energy comes into contact with the blade, it starts to rotate and the rotational kinetic energy created by the gear box is conversed into electric energy which is transferred to substations to reach consumers. Hyosung makes a difference even when it comes to wind power In 2006, Hyosung Heavy Industries developed Korea's first 750kW wind turbine, and in 2009, it developed a 2MW turbine. In 2014, a 5.5MW offshore wind turbine was installed and is currently in operation at the Jeju Gimnyeong National Wind Test Site. In 2015, this turbine received international certification from the DEWI-OCC Group of Germany. Based on its proprietary technology, Hyosung is the first Korean company to acquire international certification for geared wind power plants. The key to wind power is organic collaboration among different parties. Hyosung is uniquely positioned to compete in this area with its competitive gearboxes and generators. In addition to core technologies, Hyosung is a leader in various parts used in wind power turbines. 90% of the parts are manufactured locally. Hyosung leads the future of green energy With the national carbon zero policy and subsequent efforts have made renewable energy such as wind power essential for reducing carbon emissions because it does not use fossil fuels. Hyosung plans to invest 1 trillion KRW in Jeollanam-do, Korea, for its wind power-based green hydrogen production. Using water electrolysis, wind turbines will be built offshore of Sinan to produce green hydrogen. A wind power plant complex to be built with a capacity of 25GW encompassing offshore Younggwang, Sinan and Yeosu. This scale would match 25 nuclear power plants by facility volume. Hyosung Heavy Industries is working on a joint venture with a global leader in offshore wind turbine manufacturing. Currently, Hyosung Heavy Industries is working on acquiring KS certification for a 10MW wind turbine which will produce energy domestically. Hyosung has also been working on building a 10MW water electrolysis facility, which will be the largest in Korea. From offshore wind power turbines, Hyosung plans to produce up to 200,000 tons of green hydrogen. As there are many areas that would require green energy in the future, green hydrogen will facilitate a green energy of the future. In the Energy Storage System (ESS), for instance, batteries would be replaced by the P2G (Power to Gas) technology that stores green hydrogen as gas. The hydrogen fuel cell would have a higher energy density per weight than the ESS, and would require less energy to recharge. Lithium battery in ESS have less energy density per weight than hydrogen and larger energy loss. Hydrogen would have larger energy density per weight than that of the ESS and less energy loss and limitations in recharging frequency. The use of green hydrogen as an energy source would enable us to save large amounts of electricity while reducing losses. Green wind power plant led by Hyosung Heavy Industries Wind power holds limitless potential. Wind power as part of solar power energy is limitless in supply and tapped into for energy permanently. Unlike fossil fuel, wind power energy does not emit toxic pollutants such as greenhouse gas into air. It only requires investment in early stages but otherwise operational cost would be minimal. Wind power is in its nascent period in terms of development and thus promises a great potential of growth. Hyosung is leading that development effort. It is in our hands as to how to use this energy of limitless supply in a smart and efficient manner.
2023-03-06
Carbon Fiber in Everyday Life (III)
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has become the second highest-grossing international release in 2022, surpassing ‘Frozen’ in terms of ticket sales. Its scenes depicting fighter pilots’ passion and comradery on the 5th generation fighters not only brought joy to the eyes of movie-goers but also attention to the life of pilots in general. Especially the scene where Tom Cruise’s fictional character in the movie takes the supersonic Darkstar aircraft on an unauthorized test flight, pushing it to reach a speed of Mach 10, takes the movie to another level of excitement. One might wonder how the aircraft depicted in the scene could have withstood such heat buildup in that situation. What is it made of that makes it so strong and fast? Maybe something like carbon fiber can be used to build such a plane? Carbon fiber-reinforced materials could make fighter jets lighter, stronger, fly faster and its acceleration performance better. Because they are lighter in weight, it means they can carry more missiles than the conventional material-reinforced fighters. Thanks to its heat-resistance, these fighters can withstand the frictional heat generated during the flight because carbon fibers are heat-treated at over 1,000°C. Building planes to fly faster and longer As carbon fibers undergo the tanning process during the course of manufacturing, they show better tensile strength, heat-resistance and durability while weighing only one-fourth that of steel. That is why out of all the new materials applied to jets that epitomize most advanced technologies, carbon fibers stand out the most. When applied to airplanes, carbon fiber helps to improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel consumption which will in turn contribute to sustainability. Korea’s first carbon fiber TANSOME® developed by Hyosung Advanced Materials is a new material of dreams that will help us build a future of light-weight and safety. Space exploration on carbon fiber Carbon fiber has emerged as one of the most promising materials in the aerospace field. After all, aerospace is where the material was first introduced a long time ago with space shuttles and satellites. Carbon fiber is actually a by-product of the space competition between the US and Soviet Union that started off in the wake of the World War II. The two powers in the Cold War era locked horns with each other to develop carbon fibers. Since then, the material has long been applied in various industry for the development of jets nowadays often using carbon fiber alongside aluminum and titanium. Fly lighter on carbon fiber Carbon fiber is particularly widely applied in the aerospace industry. Aircrafts made of carbon-fiber composite airframes boast more durability and lighter in weight which means better energy efficiency, less fuel consumption and larger cargo volume. Boeing and Airbus are using carbon-fiber composite airframes for their B787 and A350 and plan to expand its application. Boeing 787 initially used only 10 percent of its materials made of carbon fiber but now around 50 percent of its materials are carbon fiber-reinforced ones. Its airframes are also made of carbon-fiber composite. In turn, B787 has seen its fuel efficiency improve by 20 percent. Airbus A380 aircraft also uses carbon fiber-reinforced materials for its key parts with 30 percent of its airframes on carbon fiber. In addition, with the US aiming to commercialize the Urban Air Mobility by 2024, urban transport vehicles to ship passengers and freight are also expected to use carbon fiber for lightweight and smaller sized wings of the vehicle. This would reduce fluid resistance. Many multinational companies have their eyes on developing solar-powered drones which can be used in various sectors such as reconnaissance, media broadcasting and meteorology. Carbon fibers are also used in solar drones. Korea’s homegrown space rocket Nuri that successfully reached orbit in 2022 also incorporated carbon fibers. An ultra-high-strength carbon fiber that is 14 times stronger than steel Hyosung Advanced Materials’ TANSOME® is known for its lightweight, tensile strength, thermal expansion, and exceptional durability. It also has excellent corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity while being safe to the human body. By any measure, it is a fiber that features unparall eled strength in the history of humanity. Hyosung Advanced Materials is not complacent. It has continued to further develop carbon fiber and has succeeded in developing an H3065 (T-1000 class) ultra-high-strength carbon fiber with a tensile strength of 6.4 GPa or higher and an elastic modulus of 295 GPa or higher in October 2022. It is 14 times stronger than steel, which is even stronger than the company’s existing TANSOME which is already 10 times the strength of that of steel. A T-1000 class carbon fiber of the same class comes in handy in various fields, such as the latest aircraft fuselages and parts made by Boeing and space launch vehicles including satellites. This is because compared to aluminum which had been widely used in the space launch projectiles, it can withstand loads and boost propulsion while reducing the weight of a projectile as much as possible. We at Hyosung believe our T-1000 class carbon fiber is going to be used more extensively in the future. Hyosung Advanced Materials is also actively engaging in research and development designed to expand the application of the T-1000 class carbon fiber, which we believe will only facilitate the days when it is applied to various aerospace products such as space shuttles and next-generation rockets. Hyosung’s ultra-high-strength carbon fiber reaches closer into space Manufacturers around the world are working hard to make vehicles including airplanes and cars that help us travel faster and safer. This is why it is imperative that the manufactures opt for carbon fibers that help build lighter and stronger body frames to improve fuel and energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emission. Particularly, carbon fiber is inseparable from the aerospace industry given its features and characteristics. Clearly its application in the industry is only to grow as the industrial technologies advance. After all, the aerospace industry epitomizes advanced technologies and Hyosung Advanced Materials T-1000 class carbon fiber stands ready to play a key role in the area to help the humanity move closer into space. Hyosung Advanced Materials sees a great potential in carbon fiber as a solution to decarbonization that will be a must to protect our planet Earth for our future generations, not to mention convenience and safety it brings to our current life. There are no other materials on earth that are stronger and lighter, and have better tensile strength and durability, and yet eco-friendlier than carbon fiber. Hyosung continues to work on its technology development because we at Hyosung believe it holds the key to a future of better life for us and generations down the road. This irreplaceable new material is going to further advance at the hands of Hyosung Advanced Materials.
2023-03-03
Carbon Fiber in Everyday Life (II).
Netflix’s popular series ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ will soon release its fifth season. The documentary-like series has gained traction across the world as soon as it hit the screen. The series gives a behind-the-scenes look at Formula 1 drivers and their teams who are competing for the fastest race speed. Of course, the scenes offer captivating glimpses of the world's most prestigious motor racing competition but what has drawn people to this show must also have to do with a series of supercars it features. Formula 1 racing cars are the epitome of cutting-edge technology and science with all the investments made for one thousandth of a second that literally makes or breaks the outcome of a race on the racing circuit. Various materials are applied in manufacturing the racing cars for the strength and super lightweight. But above all, carbon fiber is one material that you need to pay extra attention to. Carbon fiber with over 92 percent carbon, it is ten times stronger and four times lighter in weight than steel. Hyosung Advanced Materials has developed and has been mass producing Korea’s first carbon fiber brand TANSOME® which has been rapidly gaining traction worldwide. Previously carbon fiber was applied mainly to aeronautical and space areas when it was first developed, but it is now widely used in various areas such as high-pressure tanks for hydrogen and CNG, vessels, wind turbines, construction beams, laptop cases and medical devices. Automobile industry and sports are areas where general consumers would meet carbon fiber in everyday life. Lighter in weight but safer for drivers and passengers In the early 1980s when carbon fiber application was confined to aeronautical and space areas, F1 racing cars started to adopt carbon fiber in their monocoque cell design and this was the very beginning of carbon-fiber race cars. The monocoque is a construction of external skin of racing cars except for tires and frames. Carbon fiber-reinforced monocoque is lighter in weight but is much stronger, which helps to better protect the driver. It works as a shield that protects the driver at the possible moment of collision or crash taking place while the car races at a speed of over 200km. Before carbon fiber was brought in, 20 racing car drivers were killed on the racing circuit over the period of two decades. Upon carbon fiber’s emergence, however, the number drastically declined to 3 over thirty years of time. The number speaks for itself, doesn’t it? That’s not the end of the story. When braking in Formula 1 the discs' temperature can actually reach peaks of over 1,000 degrees centigrade and this is where carbon fiber comes in very handy. Recently, various parts are also increasingly being reinforced with carbon fiber including car platform, muffler, center fascia, bonnet and handle. TANSOME® in luxury cars Luxury cars as well are increasingly adopting carbon fiber. Advanced technology which has not yet been applied to mass-produced vehicles is opted for luxury cars. This is where egos of car makers butt heads against each other. For this reason, we often see a new technology adopted in the F1 almost immediately adopted by luxury cars too. Many familiar luxury car brands are using Hyosung TANSOME® for their structure and intermediate materials like prepreg and drawing. Of course, carbon fiber is not the preserve of F1 or luxury cars. It has been increasingly used in ‘everyday’ cars too. A global automobile brand has adopted carbon fiber-reinforced monocoque cell for two of its passenger vehicles and found around 39% reduction in the vehicle weight compared to the ones with traditional steel panels. Carbon fiber in sports and leisure industry This lighter and stronger material is also welcomed in sports and leisure industry. Fabrics incorporating carbon fiber are lightweight and highly elastic and thus provide comfort and help improve performance. Carbon fiber fabrics naturally come in black twill weave patterns either glossy or matte and these signature patterns of carbon fiber add a high-end and sporty look to sportswear products. In turn, sports wears and products made of carbon fiber offer very practical yet stylish looks thanks to the timeless and trendy color of black and the twill weave patterns. This style has received rave reviews from younger generations who enjoy sports. Carbon fiber to boost up performance Did you know that tennis and surfing, both of which are gaining popularity among Gen Z have a thing or two with carbon fibers as well: tennis rackets and surfing boards are made of carbon fiber? Paddle shafts, bicycles, yachts, snowboards, golf clubs, hockey sticks, and bow guns also have carbon fibers. Take tennis rackets for instance. Carbon fiber tennis rackets are lighter, allowing players to hit the ball faster while also offering a firmer grip. They also come in longer handle length and wider racket width which offer more maneuverability and control. Carbon fiber bikes are much lighter than other material equivalents and they gave the feeling of effortless climbing a steep hill or sharp turns. The superb strength-to-weight ratio can be a key to reducing the speed record. Carbon golf shafts are lighter to cause less resistance and more flexure, resulting in faster and more consistent ball speed. Its unique features like increased levels of tensile strength, water/wind resistance, and thermal conductivity variation against temperature make carbon fiber the best material for water sports as well as winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding that require high-performance equipment. Carbon fiber, now an everyday thing Hyosung concluded a sponsorship agreement with the Korea Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation that performed pretty well at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics for the 2017-2018 season and the 2018-2019 season to provide extensive support including funding and technology. This also included the company’s offering of TANSOME® and aramid fiber for the development of gear and equipment. Once being confined to aerospace or racing cars, carbon fiber has now become almost an everyday thing to be found in areas encompassing automobiles, and sports gear and equipment. With its properties of ultimate tensile strength, lightweight and high modulus property, carbon fiber is gaining more prominence in our everyday life. We have reached a point where we can’t go back to days without carbon fiber in our lives. Hyosung Advanced Materials that has developed Korea’s first carbon fiber and succeeded in commercialization is now growing itself into a global leading player on the back of its production capacity and technological advancement. With its unwavering commitment to expanding carbon fiber’s application in our everyday lives, Hyosung Advanced Materials is to take the life of humanity as a whole to the next level by bringing more comfort, convenience and safety. Please stay tuned for updates on Hyosung Advanced Materials’ progress as we continue to further broaden our carbon fiber horizon.
2023-02-27
Carbon Fiber in Everyday Life (I)
Hydrogen cars, golf clubs, smartphones, elevator belts, sneaker soles, satellites, wind power generators, ships, and power cables. These are all products widely used in their respective industries. One might think they are not related to each other. But take a closer look. You will find one common denominator here: They are all made of carbon fiber, a special material with over 92 percent of carbon. One might wonder. “How come these products where the most important requirement should be strength and durability are made of fibers? Wait, that doesn’t sound right.” But once you know more about carbon fiber, you will soon realize that there is no material that is more suitable. The new material that cannot be replaced Carbon fiber is ten times stronger yet 4 times lighter than steel. With its superior properties, carbon fiber has been gaining traction in various industries as a newly emerging material of great promise. Excellent strength and elasticity, high heat-resistance, low thermal expansion, excellent tensile strength and thermal conductivity, and high corrosion resistance. The list goes on and on. Hyosung Advanced Materials succeeded in developing carbon fiber using its proprietary technology in 2011 after embarking on the development in 2008. TANSOME® is the first high-performance carbon fiber developed in South Korea and has been put into mass production since 2013. Last year, Hyosung has taken it to a next level by developing ultra-high-performance carbon fiber. Confined only to special areas? Sometimes people assume that carbon fiber is applied only to advanced technologies for its high-performance. But that is not the case. Carbon fiber is extensively applied to various areas encompassing automobile, sports, space, construction and maritime. It is also playing a key role in areas where sustainability is critical such as hydrogen and renewable energy. The list keeps going and it has started to replace steel and aluminum in areas where lightweight and strength are required for materials. As markets evolve, its application stands only to grow. So what are the areas where we can easily see carbon fiber in everyday life? Carbon fiber in everyday life You will be surprised to know how easily one can bump into carbon fiber in everyday life. It is actually in the body of premium laptops and smartphone cases. Carbon fiber plate embedded in the sole of running shoes works as a spring for better energy return and support and thus can give a performance boost in a race. Carbon fiber has long been used to make golf clubs, fishing rods, premium bikes, and tennis rockets. Carbon fiber is used for the core of electric cables for better power transmission. Carbon fiber-reinforced materials are very transparent to X-rays and pose no harm to the human body and thus have been widely used in various medical products. It is also used to make heating benches and carbon mats for its enhanced thermal conductivity. It can be seen on exterior and interior car design, insulator in solar panels, exterior and interior of commercial airplanes, and satellites. It doesn’t stop there. You will be also surprised to see carbon fiber reinforced materials in frames and masts of vessels and yachts for their lightweight which helps the vessels to save fuels and cost, resulting in contributing to the protection of our planet – not to mention its strength and stability it adds to the vessel in the face of strong winds and currents. A must-have when it comes to pressure tanks Hyosung’s carbon fiber stands strong in many areas but more so when it comes to hydrogen, an industry that’s gaining much traction as the next growth engine. Despite its eco-friendliness and lightweight, hydrogen needs to be compressed to be stored and used due to its low density. That is why hydrogen fuel tanks that store hydrogen gas for storage and transport need to be different from ordinary ones. The tanks as such need to be strong and safe to endure pressure that can easily rise hundreds of times greater than the normal air can withstand. Additionally, the tanks need to be light enough for fuel efficiency and have high tensile strength for safety. The only viable and available material that fits all the aforementioned requirements is carbon fiber. Hydrogen cars are emerging as the best alternative to cars running on fossil fuel that have been blamed for the main source of global warming. Hyosung’s TANSOME® is an indispensable part of the hydrogen car as it is used to make the hydrogen tanks, a critical linkage between hydrogen as an energy source and its storage and transport. Before we realized it, TANSOME® has indeed solidified its position as a key pillar of the hydrogen industry. Wind turbine blades made of carbon fiber Hyosung’s carbon fiber is also used in renewable energy sector. Carbon fiber reinforced materials are used in spar caps, the main load bearing structure of a wind turbine blade to reduce weight of the wind turbine structure and improve power generation efficiency. A turbine with longer blades will be able to capture more of the available wind than shorter blades. As such, carbon fiber that is lighter than and 7 times more elastic than steel is the most optimal material for the blades. Wind blades containing carbon fiber prevent the blades longer than 60 centimeters from bending due to wind. Now longer and lighter wind blades are easy to be made thanks to carbon fiber. Construction reinforcement : stronger and easier to apply Carbon fiber-reinforced concrete beams are increasingly replacing conventional concrete beams as they are much lighter than traditional steel beams and easy to apply in construction which definitely helps to cut down on the construction period. They can also be made much thinner than steel beams, which is also a plus. Carbon fibers are at the moment applied in bridge maintenance panels and construction beams. As they don’t need any welding or assembly on site, and are lighter and easier to transport, carbon fiber reinforced concrete beams greatly contribute to improving efficiency by cutting down on the work hour on site. It is also used for repairing old concrete. The Stuttgart Stadtbahn bridge in Germany is the world's first network arch bridge that hangs entirely on tension elements made of carbon fiber. From a new material of dreams to an everyday thing After emerging as a new material of dreams, carbon fibers have now become almost an everyday element in our lives. With the expanding application, the size of the global market for carbon fiber has been growing accordingly. According to the Fuji Research Institute, the market size of the pan-based carbon fibers mainly produced by Hyosung has reached 85,790 tons as of 2021 and is expected to continue to grow around 10 percent per annum. It is also estimated to reach 327,430 tons of market size globally by 2035. Soon we will live in a world where our everyday lives are going to be surrounded by carbon fiber-based products and a day will not go by without using a product made of carbon fibers. And at the very center of it lies Hyosung Advanced Materials. With its strenuous efforts in research and development, in 2022 Hyosung Advanced Materials has become the third company in the world that unveiled an ultra-high-tensile carbon fiber that is T-1000 class and has tensile strength 4 times greater than existing ones. As such, Hyosung’s technology in carbon fibers is one of the most important driving forces behind the global carbon fiber market. Until the day when no one is surprised to see carbon fiber in their everyday life, we at Hyosung Advanced Materials will continue to work on expanding the application and thus contribute to eco-friendly lifestyle of modern days. From what we see, there are limitless potentials for carbon fibers
2023-02-24
A Product of 10 Years of Work, Poketone™
Creating something from nothing requires painstaking efforts. But it is not only writers who have to suffer such pain to create their work. Similarly, creating a new chemical material requires much time and energy. POKETONE™, the world’s first commercialized polyketone is a good example. POKETONE™ is an environmentally friendly polymer that was developed by Hyosung for the first time in the world. It is known as the next-generation material for its superior properties. Its name may sound foreign to many but it has been widely used in our everyday goods such as toys, portion plates, automobile and electronic goods. This globally recognized non-toxic polymer made of carbon dioxide has been captivating companies and brands that prioritize sustainability across the world. Since the invention of nylon, POKETONE™ is the only material that has emerged as the next-generation material. And this is how it was invented. A plastic material of dreams POKETONE™ is the world’s first and only material of its kind, known as the plastic of dreams. Countries known for their highly advanced chemical technology and innovation like the US and Japan had embarked on development of such a material as early as the 1980s but all had failed to reach commercialization. With the commitment to better the life of humanity as a whole through new technologies and materials, Hyosung pursued the R&D of polyketone-related technologies. Hyosung’s management continued to encourage and provide support to its research team to create a new material that did not exist. Hyosung Chemical R&D team strenuously worked on the development while experimenting with different research environments (i.e. varying temperatures and catalysts). It was seemingly an endless journey with no sign of a breakthrough. Since 2004 when the research begun, around 50 billion won of investment has been made over the period of ten years. There was even an interesting incident of when the R&D team tried a superstitious ritual in which food is offered to the spirits of the ancestors to bring good results. This shows just how the entire R&D process had been a long and difficult journey. In November 2013, Hyosung Chemical finally succeeded in developing the new material, polyketone. But after the short-lived joy came another round of painstaking efforts to commercialize this new polymer. It was also followed by a thorough market study to look into applicable areas, usage and customer demand for a rapid commercialization of the new material. All of this has contributed to a successful and stable supply of the new polymer in the engineering plastic market. In 2015, Hyosung’s establishment of the new POKETONE™ production site with an annual capacity of 5 million tons elevated the entire engineering plastic industry to a whole new level of technology and opportunities. Eco-friendly engineering plastic, POKETONE™ POKETONE™ is made of carbon dioxide and olefin (a class of chemicals that include ethylene, propylene) and emits less greenhouse gas in the process of manufacturing. This new polymer exhibits superior properties than existing engineering plastics and has emerged as the next-generation material that will play a key role in the manufacturing parts industry. It is all thanks to its superior properties such as impact resistance, abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, fuel resistance and nontoxicity. The more we produce POKETONE™, the more we use, and thus reduce carbon dioxide. As such, it will serve as the key material toward a more sustainable future. Stronger and safer material applied in our everyday life With its superior abrasion resistance, Hyosung’s polyketone is nontoxic and safe for the human body. It is approved by the European Parliament’s regulations on the substance of very high concern (SVHC) for all of the 224 types as well as secured ‘Free’ status by the US FDA for its VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) classification on harmful materials such as phthalates and formaldehyde. It is approved for the use of conveyer belt parts for water cooler and food processing, medical device parts, and mold for contact lens manufacturing for its safety. It is even safe for children to use. As children tend to explore with their mouths, toys and suction plates made of Hyosung polyketone are safe to use. Ushering into a future of the next-generation engineering plastic Hyosung POKETONE™ exhibits 2.3 times stronger impact resistance and 30 percent higher chemical resistance than that of nylon. When it comes to abrasion resistance, it is 14 times stronger than that of polyacetal. As such, it has great potentials in eco-friendly vehicles and next-generation industrial materials. Particularly, it will be useful in areas that require special materials such as automobile (i.e. fuel line, exterior/interior materials, electric and electronic parts). The engineering plastic market requires a detail-oriented customization process in order to develop products befitting different customer needs which is not expected for conventional plastic products. This is why the production cycle takes up to a couple of years from product planning to manufacturing. This is where the role of a solution provider comes in handy in order to be able to identify a product’s technical characteristics while understanding demands from engineering resins and customer’s application. Hyosung Chemical understands polyketone better than any other players in the market – not to mention the fact that it developed and commercialized it as the world’s first and only manufacturer to date. As such, the company is best positioned to play the role of a solution provider that offers the technology and product line-ups needed to produce customized products. A green future shaped by POKETONE™ The global engineering plastic market has been growing 7.2 percent per annum from 66.2 billion dollars of 2016 to be expected to reach 132.8 billion dollars by 2026. Global sales volume of polyketone has also been a steep rise from 912 tons of 2016, 8,542 tons of 2020, to more than 200% increase to 18,220 tons of 2021. It exhibits excellent toughness, abrasion resistance, tensile strength and elasticity with superior impact resistance and chemical resistance too. With this excellent properties, polyketone has emerged as the best alternative material to existing engineering plastics. Hyosung POKETONE™ is leading the ever expanding engineering plastic market. With no intention to be complacent, Hyosung Chemical has been putting a lot of thought into how to capture carbon dioxide from power plant emission to produce POKETONE™, in order to enhance the eco-friendliness of production. As such, POKETONE™ is preparing a transition into a greener way of manufacturing by using the pollutant as raw material and recycling resources. In doing so, Hyosung Chemical POKETONE™ is to grow into a global leading brand in the engineering plastic market in the world.
2023-02-20
TANSOME®, a Special Fiber That Gets Stronger as It Burns
Would you believe if someone tells you a thread of fabric can lift up a 700kg vehicle? This apparently impossible mission turns into a mission possible when carbon fiber comes into the picture. Carbon fiber is less than 1/5 the weight of steel but is 10 times stronger. It may look no different than ordinary threads of yarn but it surely is not the same. There is reason why this fabric with 92% carbon content is known as the “new material of dreams.” The first carbon fiber developed in Korea and fourth of its kind in the world This is how carbon fiber is manufactured at Hyosung Advanced Materials: It is produced by heat-treating acrylonitrile with pressure to turn it into macromolecule which then is converted into a thread of fabric. This then is oxidized in an oxidation furnace of up to 1,200°C to produce carbon fiber. This whole process is called “tanning processing” which is known for its stringent requirements for a highly sophisticated manufacturing system. A single carbon fiber of 7μm diameter is only one-tenth the diameter of a human hair. However, when combined together in large numbers as many as several thousand, it is reinforced to withstand any pressure. A very thin layer of carbon fiber of 1㎟ cross sectional area in turn can lift up a 700kg vehicle. Committed to technology innovation and the environment, Hyosung Advanced Materials has begun its endeavor of developing carbon fiber since 2008. It has developed Korea’s first high-performance carbon fiber TANSOME® in 2011 to succeed in mass production in 2013. TANSOME® actually is an acronym of two words: “Tanning” and “Something Special” which carries the meaning of creating added values with the very special material in a way that has never been seen before. With promise of limitless potentials Carbon fiber is extensively applied to a wide range of areas. Space, automobile, wind power, high-pressure container, electric wire layers, engineering and construction, other industrial purposes and sports and leisure. With technological advances, more and more sectors require lighter, stronger, more sophisticated composites. There is nothing better that suits this profile than Hyosung’s carbon fiber. Carbon fiber has long been part of the production of space shuttles. Airplane manufacturing makers such as Boeing and Airbus have been increasingly adopting carbon fiber composites in the airplane manufacturing process (e.g., B787 and A380) in order to lower the overall airplane weight and enhance energy efficiency. The automobile industry, especially race cars that require lightweight and high motor fuel efficiency is also no exception. Oil transport pipelines which require chemical and corrosion resistance also use carbon fiber. Frames of yacht and vessels, high-pressure containers such as CNC and hydrogen tanks, bridge panels and beams for civil engineering and construction, and medical equipment. The list goes on. In sports and leisure industry, carbon fiber is extensively used in areas such as golf club, bikes, hockey stick, tennis racket, fishing rod, and snowboard. Cable core made of carbon fiber exhibits greater elasticity and strength than that of steel core, rendering a wider row spacing of transmission towers to save up costs. The indispensable part of hydrogen value chain That’s not the end of the story. Carbon fiber shines the most in hydrogen industry. Having recognized limitless potentials of hydrogen, Hyosung has actively engaged in related industries. The company is running the largest number of hydrogen filling stations in Korea while providing core parts in high-temperature tanks for safe storage and transportation of hydrogen. It has also been leading the distribution of green hydrogen produced using renewable electricity such as wind and solar power. Hyosung is building the world's largest liquid hydrogen plant for storage and utilization of green hydrogen. It is also developing coal and carbon capture and utilization (CCCU) technologies which will be critical in the production of blue hydrogen. The indispensable part of Hyosung’s hydrogen value chain is TANSOME®. Liquefied hydrogen in filling stations that are the key infrastructure of hydrogen mobility is compressed in high pressure for the sake of easier transport and storage. It requires high-strength tanks and this is where TANSOME® comes in handy. High-pressure tanks and containers made of TANSOME® are significantly lighter than existing materials, boosting fuel efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emission. Hyosung, committed to both of hydrogen and carbon fiber With its proprietary technology of carbon fiber, Hyosung Advanced Materials has committed itself to sustainability. It plans to gradually expand its TANSOME® production capacity to 9,000 tons/year by 2023 and the world’s largest capacity of 24,000 tons/year by 2028. Hyosung is also to build a carbon industry cluster and further expand the adoption of the eco-friendly carbon fiber. A future where we can meet carbon fiber in everyday life seems not far away.
2023-02-10