LG Chem supplies new eco-friendly ABS product to U.S. toy maker Mattel

By Lim Chang-won Posted : December 5, 2022, 09:15 Updated : December 5, 2022, 09:15

[Courtesy of LG Chem]

SEOUL -- LG Chem, the chemical unit of South Korea's LG Group, has supplied a new eco-friendly acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) product based on vegetable bio-materials to Mattel, a toy manufacturer in the United States. The company leads the global market of transparent ABS products with an annual capacity of about two million tons.

ABS is a common thermoplastic polymer used in manufacturing household and consumer goods as well as medical and industrial products. It provides favorable mechanical properties such as impact resistance, toughness, and rigidity when compared with other common polymers. A variety of modifications can be made to improve impact resistance, toughness, and heat resistance. 

It is the first time in Asia to sell an eco-friendly ABS product that has acquired ISCC PLUS certification, a sustainability certification program for bio-based and circular raw materials. LG Chem said that its new "bio-circular balanced" ABS product significantly reduced carbon emissions in an evaluation process to verify the effect of carbon reduction from raw material production to shipment.

LG Chem has expanded a lineup of eco-friendly high-function products. "We will lead the market with sustainable materials centered on eco-friendly products and provide valuable consumption opportunities for customers," LG Chem's petrochemical division head No Guk-rae said in a statement on December 4. 

LG Chem has introduced environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) that focuses on the use of green energy and environmentally-friendly management by fostering its production base in Daesan, in Daesan, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Seoul, as an ESG business mecca for the production of bio and eco-friendly materials, waste plastic recycling, and greenhouse gas reduction.

LG Chem has developed a new biodegradable material using corn-based glucose and crude glycerol that can realize mechanical properties equivalent to synthetic resins. Through its partnership with Neste, a leading biodiesel producer based in Finland, LG Chem has accelerated the production of eco-friendly materials. Neste's bio-based raw materials can be produced from vegetable oils such as renewable waste cooking oil and palm oil.
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