LG Chem's bio-based ASA material enhancement will make it the first company to commercialize bio-based acrylic acid.

Recently, LG Chem announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hanssem, a South Korean home furnishings company, for the joint development of eco-friendly molding materials for home use, officially entering the eco-friendly kitchen home materials market. Through this agreement, LG Chem will provide high-performance plastics made from plant-based materials, specifically ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate), to be used as surface materials for Hanssem's kitchen home products under the "e'clat" brand. The "e'clat" products are expected to be launched in the first half of the year, and these products will feature the "LETZero" eco-friendly brand logo for consumer sales.

Traditional ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate) is made from SAN (Styrene Acrylonitrile copolymer) and acrylic rubber, also known as impact modified resin, and belongs to engineering plastics. SAN (AS) features transparency, glossiness, impact resistance, and chemical resistance, and is widely used in various products such as home appliances, office equipment, and cosmetic containers. Acrylonitrile (A) provides rigidity, styrene (S) enhances processability, while acrylic (A) rubber acts like an elastic network that absorbs impact.

Therefore, in terms of application scenarios, ASA is used for kitchen and household surface materials, such as countertops and cabinet panels (oil and high-temperature steam resistant), as well as bathroom fittings (moisture resistant). It may replace traditional plastics or wood, offering better weather resistance and aesthetics.

LG Chem's breakthrough lies in replacing part of the petroleum-based raw materials with plant-based components such as corn starch, significantly reducing the carbon footprint while maintaining weather resistance comparable to traditional ASA (resistance to degradation, aging, and fading caused by UV exposure). Even more noteworthy is that the introduction of plant-based monomers has not compromised processing advantages, exhibiting higher strength and flowability, as well as a high gloss (gloss at 60° angle > 90) and fingerprint resistance, making it suitable for high-end home aesthetics.

Based on raw material substitution, this collaboration may suggest an improvement in the recyclability of LG's bio-based ASA materials. Go Yeong Nam, director of the Hansen Institute, stated: "Most materials used in households are difficult to recycle and are often incinerated when discarded, which inevitably leads to an increase in carbon emissions. Therefore, we will implement low-carbon emission reduction actions by developing eco-friendly home molding materials."

Traditional ASA often experiences phase separation during melt regeneration due to the presence of acrylate rubber, leading to a significant decline in mechanical properties. As a result, it is typically only suitable for downgrading or landfilling. Biobased ASA, if using chemical depolymerization technologies like the LETZero system from LG Chem, can be depolymerized into monomers for re-polymerization, achieving closed-loop recycling and theoretically overcoming the recycling bottleneck of traditional ASA. However, this technology requires supporting chemical recycling facilities and has higher operational complexity and energy consumption compared to traditional mechanical recycling.

On February 13th, LG Chem announced that it will begin producing bio-based acrylic acid in the second quarter of this year, with an annual production capacity of 100 tons. LG Chem may become the first company to commercialize bio-based acrylic acid, completing the final piece of the ASA commercialization chain.