South Korea’s major petrochemicals company LG Chem will be using recycled material for the production of transparent Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) polymer which is a plastic having several applications including automotive parts.
In an announcement made by LG Chem on Monday, it was mentioned that the company had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Veolia R&E which is country’s largest producer of recycled Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) for the production of transparent ABS plastic at the company’s plant in Yeouido, Seoul.
Under the partnership Veolia will be stabilizing the supply of recycled MMA to LG Chem. The two companies will be joining hands in enhancing the processing to improve the recycled MMA quality and will be carrying out joint research and development. LG Chem will be receiving stable supply of recycled MMA which is essential for the manufacturing of transparent ABS.
MMA is a colourless and transparent material and is a key raw material for transparent ABS. The major applications for MMA include automobile, home appliances, IT devices, and construction materials.
Veolia R&E is a company under the France’s Veolia Group which is world largest environment service provider. The company used waste resources from artificial marble to process and produce recycled MMA which is then used in the manufacturing of transparent ABS.
As per ChemAnalyst, “the proposed partnership is poised to increase the supply of transparent ABS in South Korea and therefore the prices might experience lower supply pressure in the near term as the demand maintains its current value. The demand for transparent ABS is projected to grow at a healthy rate of around 6%.”
