Kumho Petrochemical, headed by Kee Ock, is making an agressive leap by expanding its production line of the specialty chemical product (rubber anti-oxidant: 6PPD) that is an essential element of tires.
Rubber antioxidant is a high profit product that is one of the major goods produced by the fine chemicals division of Kumho Petrochemical. When the expansion of facilities is completed in 2008, Kumho will emerge as the second largest producer of the product.
Kumho is implementing mid- and long-term strategies to emerge as a leading producer/seller in the industry and to become the top MS supplier to the world's ten largest tire manufacturers.
Kumho's production capacity will increase to 50,000 tons/yr by 2008 from 20,000 tons/yr in 2006.
[Kumho Petrochemical's expansion plan for anti-oxidant]
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End of 2006 |
End-June 2007 |
End-June 2008 |
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Capacity |
20,000 tons/yr |
30,000 tons/yr |
50,000 tons/yr |
Kumho Petrochemical currently supplies specialty chemicals to three Korean tire makers-Kumho Tires, Hankook Tires, and Nexen Tires-and major overseas companies including Michelin and Bridgestone. Production facilities will be expanded for anti-oxidants (6PPD: Kumho product name = KUMANOX 13), which prevents aging of all rubber products including tires. In comparison with products made by other companies, Kumho's products are characterized by good dispersion and workability as well as outstanding prevention of oxidization and flex cracking.
[Reference: about KUMANOX 13]
KUMANOX 13 (rubber antioxidant): In general, performance of rubber products is lowered with passage of time. Depending on various factors such time, environment, and conditions of use, tires are worn down by abrasion, contraction, and fissure, while decomposition is taking place, even if their appearance look just fine, resulting in a tragedy.
Fissure, adhesion, and hardening can occur to even unused tires stored in warehouse under long and/or bad storage conditions, which is called aging. Rubber antioxidant is a specially developed chemical that prevents or delays aging.
In 1870, Murphy discovered for the first time that a mixture of certain chemicals such as phenol or cresol (which are not used anymore) expanded the life cycle of tires. In 1924, George Oenslager invented antioxidant which had been widely used before the outbreak of World War Ⅰ.
