Kumho Petrochemical spurs R&D efforts

Kumho Petrochemical has been bolstering R&D efforts and improving cross-departmental collaboration to ensure sustainable growth amid growing global uncertainties, the company said Thursday. The chemical company has been trying to raise its technological capabilities in its key product categories such as butadiene rubber, which is widely used for car tires. The company is set to commercialize Functional-LiBR (F-LiBR), an upgraded version of butadiene rubber. It expects the latest product can improve fuel efficiency by between 20 percent and 40 percent. Also, in response to the growing demand for NB latex products, Kumho expanded its production facilities in 2018 and has been diversifying its product categories. The company recently developed KNL 870, an industrial NB latex that can protect workers' hands from various chemicals in industrial sites. For its high-performance synthetic rubber called SBS, which is used for modifiers that improve the performance of asphalt, waterproof sheets, car parts and plastic modifiers, it has secured a stable share in the global market. In 2018, the product was recognized as world class by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.