● Core material chemical of high-value polyurethane (PU) ... Third high-value materials line following CMP pad

● Sufficient competitiveness with 60 patents ... Significant changes expected in the global market, with mass production to be commenced in 2020

Earnestly promoting high-value special chemical materials, SKC has started production of high-value chemical materials for optical lens by recently completing the procedure for acquiring the optical materials production unit of Woori Fine Chem. Optical chemical material is one of the essential raw materials for producing optical polyurethane(PU).

SKC has secured the foundation for a high-value polyurethane portfolio by obtaining the source technologies for high-value isocyanates through the current acquisition, including xylylene diisocyanate (XDI). So far, SKC has continued R&D _ base_d on its PU-related know-how. It succeeded in the commercial production of optical polyurethane materials for optical lenses in August last year. The company has secured a foundation for diversifying its business lines by acquiring know-how on the high-value chemical XDI. The optical lens PU is the third high-value PU item next to the CMP pad and automotive suspension PU.

XDI is an essential material for producing optical PU along with “Cyol,” a highly refractive monomer. So far, XDI has been produced by global major producers due to a technological gap. When SKC starts its production in full scale, the market will experience significant change. SKC is highly competitive as it has over 60 related patents.

As Korea has entered the era of aging population, the market for optical materials is growing steadily with more people using smartphones and other IT appliances. The PU material market is growing rapidly since it offers outstanding optical performance including refraction rate, and it is lighter. PU is used for functional or sight-corrective ophthalmic lenses, including lens blocking blue light, polarized sun lens, multi-focus lens, and photochromic lens. The market is valued at roughly 600 billion won.

SKC plans to secure markets by rapidly promoting this product. First, it will increase production capacity with additional investment while increasing customers. It plans to start mass production in the first half of 2020 and to diversify its products into materials for display devices, including highly refractive display coating agent, by developing related _ base_ technologies.

"SKC is steadily increasing its specialty material lines _ base_d on the vision of a global specialty marketer we adopted in 2016. We will complete the development of a specialty product portfolio by exploring the 4th and 5th high-value items through continued investment in high-value PU lines," an SKC executive said. [End]