LG Chem wins order to export phenol and acetone made with biomaterials

SEOUL -- LG Chem, a chemical unit of South Korea's LG Group, will export two eco-friendly compounds -- phenol and acetone -- that applied biomaterials such as used cooking oil. The products that won international certification will be used to produce high-functional plastics such as polycarbonate.

Phenol is an aromatic organic compound used as a raw material for polycarbonate, a group of thermoplastic polymers used to produce vehicle parts. Resins produced from phenol are partially used as raw materials for electric and electronic components and thermal insulating.
 
Acetone is mainly used in producing solvents such as detergents and paint thinners thanks to its outstanding solubility. It is also used as building materials such as artificial marble.
 
LG Chem would ship 4,000 tons of phenol and 1,200 tons of acetone to clients by the end of August 2022. LG Chem said this is the largest amount of export among domestic products that received ISCC PLUS certification, a global standard for recycled and bio-based materials.
 
Phenol and acetone produced in LG chem's production base in Daesan, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Seoul, will be used to produce high-functional plastics after being delivered to factories run by a German-based chemical material company in China and Thailand.
 
"We will lead the sustainable material market with green certification products optimized for consumers' needs," LG Chem's petrochemical division head No Guk-rae said in a statement on July 21. 

In August 2021, LG Chem shipped its bio-balanced superabsorbent polymer (SAP), known as slush powder, to Baby Life, a client based in Jordan. SAP can absorb and retain extremely large amounts of a liquid relative to its own mass. It is mainly used in personal disposable hygiene products, such as baby diapers, adult diapers and sanitary napkins.