Heterogenous Catalysts for Acrylic Acid Production

L G Chemical Ltd. developed two catalysts for the production of acrylic acid from the two-step selective oxidation of propylene, and successfully applied them to one of the company's commercial scale reactors in 1996. The catalysts have been under continuous operation for more than two years and are still in excellent condition. This is considered as the first instance of commercialization of heterogeneous catalysts in Korea for use in a large-scale industrial chemical process, and is an outcome of the catalyst research and development program which LG Chemical Ltd. launched in 1990 as an effort to better understand the core technology involved in acrylic acid production.   The developed catalysts are multi-component metal oxide varieties based on Mo-Bi for the first reaction step, in which propylene converts to acrolein, and Mo-V for the second reaction step, in which acrolein converts to acrylic acid. LG Chemical Ltd. manufactures the catalysts from its own production facility which was built based on the manufacturing technology the company has developed along with its catalyst research. Several patents on the related technology as well as the catalysts have been applied for.
  LG Chemical Ltd. began its acrylic acid and acrylate business in 1987 and has three production plants, which were built utilizing the catalyst technology of Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. (NSCL). The production capacity of three plants amounts to 120,000 tons per year of acrylic acid base, making LG Chemical Ltd. one of the world's major producers of acrylic acid and acrylate. The major applications of acrylates include surface coatings, textiles, adhesives, and plastics. High purity acrylic acid is the raw material of superabsorbents. Other applications of polyacrylic acid or copolymers include detergents, dispersants, flocculants and thickeners.
  The worldwide total production capacity of acrylate is about 2.8 million tons per year. Demand increases at a rate of four to five percent annually. Superabsorbents, used primarily in disposable diapers, have grown rapidly in recent years and will continue to grow very well during next few years.
LG Chemical Ltd.
20, Yoido-dong, Youngdeungpo-ku, Seoul, Korea,150-010
Tel : 82-2-3773-7993 Fax : 82-2-3773-3289

Xylitol Sugar Substitute

M ore than any other polyol, xylitol has been successfully used in many food and clinical applications as a sugar substitute. Xylitol is a naturally occurring five-carbon sugar alcohol that is present in small quantities in a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. It can be produced by the oxalic acid treatment of plant matter, such as jute sticks and beech wood residues. However, the very small amount present in natural sources, as compared with the amount of sucrose in sugar cane and sugar beet, makes its quantitative extraction difficult and uneconomical. It is also a normal metabolic intermediate of carbohydrate metabolism in mammalian cells.
  Under technology developed by TongYang Confectionery Co., xylitol is produced by microbial fermentation which leaves only xylitol once the final stage fermentation is complete. Thus, the purification and separation process itself is very simple and does not require a great deal of investment. The yield and productivity of the process meets the standards of current commercial production methods. The fermentation stage does not require a metallic catalyst and the quality of final product is in accordance with global specifications for food and pharmaceutical grade products. This technology can also be applied to produce other types of sugar substitutes containing erythritol and trehalsoe.
  On an industrial scale, xylitol is produced through the chemical reduction of xylose derived from hemicellulose hydrolysates of birch wood or other xylose rich materials.
  Xylitol has a number of advantageous natural properties. Xylitol has an anticarcinogenic property which does not cause acid formation and can promote oral health. Since xylitol does not need insulin to regulate its metabolism, it may be used also as a sugar substitute in the treatment of diabetes. Because its metabolism does not involve glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, it is also an ideal sweetener for those who have a deficiency in this compound. In addition to its potential clinical applications, xylitol's strong sweetening powers and its anticarcinogenic properties have led to it being used in many food applications as a sweetener.
  The worldwide market for xylitol is estimated to range from 25,000 to 30,000 MT per year and it grows at more than 20 percent annually.
TongYang Confectionery Co.
30-10, Munbae-dong, Yongsan-ku, Seoul, Korea, 140-100
Tel : 82-2-710-6121 Fax : 82-2-717-0596

Hot Tube System Process for Producing Polyester Filament Yarn

A s one of the leading companies producing polyester filament yarn in Korea, Hyosung has strived to cope with changing market conditions through continuous technology development. However, because of outdated production facilities, the company faced losing its competitive position through a rise in production costs. Accordingly, the company examined a variety of new processes to get the maximum return through a minimum of investment cost. The Hot Tube System (HTS) process was one of the new processes subsequently developed and introduced.
  The process to manufacture polyester filament yarns involves two steps: spinning and drawing. Compared to the conventional process for making polyester filament yarn which uses two heated godet rollers to draw the yarn, the drawing of polyester yarn in the HTS process is conducted in hot tubes only. The orientation and crystallization of yarn occur simultaneously in the hot tube. Excellent physical properties in polyester filament yarn can be achieved faster than through the conventional process. The polyester filament yarn produced by the HTS process can be used to make textile fabrics in the manner of regular polyester yarns.
  Hyosung commercialized the HTS process using cold godet roller technology, establishing a first among polyester filament yarn-making companies in Korea.
  The HTS process has a huge advantage in investment costs over the spin/draw process by lowering production costs to the possible lowest level. Hyosung calculates the HTS process economizes through a 20 percent increase in productivity and a 15 percent cut in production costs. The Korean polyester filament yarn market is now in a process of renewal. Companies with low competitive abilities are exiting the market as a result of increasing competition. The upgrading of production facilities is necessary for survival and the HTS process represents a window of opportunity for all companies in the business of manufacturing synthetic yarn.

Thermopile Infrared Detector

T he thermopile infrared sensor is a device synchronized by CMOS and MEMS technologies based on an understanding of infrared radiation and thermo-elements. This is one of the rare realizations of technical development and mass-production utilizing silicon semiconductor process technologies. It is of particular note that this is the first item developed by micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) techniques funded by one of the G7 projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology.
  The thermopile infrared sensor measures surface temperatures continuously in a non-contact mode so that it is applicable to sensing the approach of the human body as well as inert objects. The first application of the thermopile sensor was in a microwave oven made by LG Electronics, which was introduced as a new concept in cooking-control methods. An ear thermometer which enjoys worldwide sales will shortly be adapted to use a thermopile sensor. Other applications are in the fields of consumer electronics, industrial electronics, the defense industry, or wherever there is a requirement for non-contact temperature measurement in such items as radiation thermometers and automatic lamp switches.
  The world market for the sensor represented by microwave ovens, the ear thermometer, and automobile applications, exceeds $2 million, $30 million, $50 million per a year, respectively. Furthermore, the total market will exceed $82 million, if the thermopile takes some of the pyroelectric infrared sensor market by virtue of its low price and high quality.

LG Electronics

LG Corporate Institute of Technology
16, Woomyun-dong, Socho-ku, Seoul, Korea, 137-140
Tel : 82-2-526-4553 Fax : 82-2-3461-3508 E-mail : tykim@lgcit.com

Palm PC

W   ith the technology Samsung has gained from its past PDA development and spurred by the need for a small computer that is small and light enough to be carried around, Samsung has introduced its own palm-sized PC, the Sens Palm, small and light enough to fit in your shirt pocket. Samsung has adapted a variety of new technologies currently emerging in the market place. On the hardware side, Samsung's palm-sized PC runs on a 75 MHz RISC processor. It supports IrDA 1.0 making it possible to exchange data with other PC handhelds that support IrDA 1.0. Since it runs on the Microsoft Windows CE operating system, you can exchange data with PCs running on Windows 95/98/NT without any difficulty. The Sens Palm also has voice record/play capability, possesses handwriting recognition capability, and can support a third-party voice recognition program. It has a software modem to enable you to easily upgrade to a better performance modem without changing the H/W. Users can also add third-party pager cards which will be available soon. The Sens Palm features a Compact Flash card slot which accepts numerous CF type I or II accessories on the market.
  With Samsung's Sens Palm you can keep track of your appointments, contact information and notes. You can also manage your e-mails as well as surf the web using the channel that is provided by Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0. There are hundreds of third-party Windows CE programs on the markets, which the Sens Palm can use.
  Aside from the consumer market, there is a huge potential for the Sens Palm in the world of business. For example, the Sens Palm can be used to manage warehouse inventory using the optional barcode reader. It can be used in hospitals to enable health care professionals keep track of each patient's progress and medical records. You can receive your e-mails with an optional pager card which also enables you to receive current information on your stock portfolio and generate a personalized sports score board.


Samsung Electronics

Multimedia Lab., Corporate Technical Operations,
416, Maetan-3-dong, Paldal-ku, Suwon-shi, Kyonggi-do, Korea, 442-742
Tel : 82-331-200-3702 Fax : 82-331-200-3717

* The items featured in this article have been selected by the Korea Industrial Technology
Association (KITA) after undergoing a one-year market evaluation period.