Lanxess and South Korea’s tier-one automotive supplier, Hwaseung Corporation, have entered into a long-term agreement where Lanxess will supply Hwaseung with EPDM rubber and both companies will focus R&D efforts on speciality rubber applications.
Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) synthetic rubber, sold under the brand name Keltan, is used above all in the automotive industry for door sealants. It is also used in the plastics modification, cable and wire, construction and oil additives industries. Its properties include low density, good resistance to heat, oxidation, chemicals and weathering as well as good electrical insulation properties.
Hwaseung is a supplier of rubber components and other materials to global automotive producers, including the Korean manufactures Hyundai and Kia. South Korea is already one of the top five automotive producers in the world.
The Technical Rubber Products business unit, which includes the EPDM business, is part of Lanxess’s Performance Polymers segment, which achieved total sales of EUR3.8 billion in 2010. (PRA)