Kumho Petrochemical announced on September 8 that it received a Presidential Citation at the first National Day of Technology Development awards on September 7 for its achievements in developing high-value synthetic rubber.
The National Day of Technology Development is a national commemorative day established to recognize researchers who contribute to technological advancement and to enhance the pride of those engaged in research and development. This date was chosen to commemorate the surpassing of 10,000 corporate research institutes in South Korea on September 7, 2004.
The award ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, Koo Ja-kyun, chairman of the Korea Industrial Technology Association, and officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT. Kim Jae-yoon, a senior researcher from Kumho Petrochemical's rubber research lab, represented the company as an award recipient.
The key achievement recognized by the Presidential Citation was the development of silica-friendly functional butadiene rubber, which is applied in high-performance tires. The tire industry has been increasingly using silica to enhance fuel efficiency and wet braking performance.
However, conventional butadiene rubber, primarily used in tires, is known for its excellent wear resistance but has poor compatibility with silica, limiting simultaneous improvements in fuel efficiency, grip, and wear performance when mixed with silica.
To address this limitation, Kumho Petrochemical focused on functional butadiene rubber, which was previously considered unsuitable for tire applications. A critical aspect was maintaining the performance achieved in the lab consistently during actual production processes. The company optimized the molecular structure and manufacturing conditions through repeated validations during pilot and commercial production stages, leveraging existing production processes to establish a stable commercialization foundation.
As a result, Kumho successfully commercialized a material that enhances the silica compatibility of functional butadiene rubber, allowing for uniform dispersion of silica and improving tire wear performance, fuel efficiency, and wet braking capability.
Additionally, Kumho Petrochemical established quality control standards tailored to the new synthetic rubber and proposed them to domestic and international tire manufacturers, successfully integrating them into their product management criteria. This marks the first instance of a manufacturer proposing synthetic rubber product management standards that were subsequently adopted by tire companies.
A representative from Kumho Petrochemical stated, "This Presidential Citation recognizes our proactive identification of changes in the tire industry and our success in presenting new material possibilities and pioneering the market. We will continue to develop high-value materials that lead the market by uncovering potential customer demands."
Meanwhile, Kumho Petrochemical achieved an earnings surprise in the second quarter of this year, reporting consolidated sales of 2.2682 trillion won and an operating profit of 339 billion won, exceeding market expectations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.