Kolon doubles aramid production at Korean plant

Seoul – Kolon Industries Inc. has doubled production capacity for ‘super fibre’ aramid production as its manufacturing site in Gumi, in central South Korea.

The group invested around KRW300 billion (€208 million) in the facility, raising production capacity to 15,300 tonnes per annum, said Kolon in a 20 Dec 2023 statement.

The expansion, according to Kolon, makes the group the ‘top producer’ of aramid fibres, which it supplies to market under brand name Heracron.

The production process is currently being further advanced through test runs, and the expanded capacity is expected to be on-line “in earnest” from early 2024, Kolon added.

According to Kolon, the expansion project involved the use of “cutting-edge” technology to create a “next-generation smart factory”.

As part of the process, Kolon introduced a real-time monitoring system and a uniform quality control system throughout the polymerisation and production process.

Furthermore, the Korean group expects the “100% unmanned automatic packaging process” to increase productivity and reduce the risk of safety accidents at the site.

In environmental terms, the group said it reduced carbon emissions at the site through mixed combustion of existing fossil fuels with biogas.

In addition, more than 35% of the generated wastewater is chemically treated and reused, while air pollutant recovery facilities have been introduced to cut pollution.

Due to their higher strenght and heat resistance, aramid fibres are particularly suitable for applications in vehicle tires, body armour, optical cables and brake pads, the Korean group noted.