H&S Anlagentechnik: Polyurethane flexible foam recycling technology to see first industrial-scale deployment in Asia

H&S Anlagentechnik GmbH is expanding the international reach of its chemical recycling technology for flexible polyurethane foams. The German company has granted KPX Chemical exclusive licensing rights for the South Korean market. Together with KPX Chemical and Chinyang Polyurethane, the partners will build a production plant for recycled polyols in Eumseong, South Korea, with commercial operations scheduled to begin in June 2027.

The project marks the first industrial-scale application of H&S's recycling technology in Asia. According to the company, the process is already commercially established in Europe and Latin America. Through the partnership, H&S aims to enter the South Korean market and further strengthen the global presence of its recycling technologies.

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The plant will be constructed at Chinyang Polyurethane's manufacturing site. Its purpose is to chemically recycle flexible polyurethane foam waste into high-quality recycled polyols. According to the partners, these recycled polyols can replace up to 30% of virgin polyols in the production of new flexible polyurethane foams, with even higher substitution rates possible depending on the application. The resulting foams are said to achieve mechanical properties and comfort characteristics comparable to those of conventional materials.

The project follows an integrated circular economy approach within the KPX Group. Production waste from Chinyang Polyurethane will be fed directly into the recycling process, where KPX Chemical will convert it into new polyols. This is intended to keep raw materials in circulation, reduce the use of fossil-based resources, and improve production efficiency at the same time.

For H&S, the collaboration represents another step in the international commercialization of its polyurethane recycling equipment and process technologies. The company specializes in recycling processes for polyurethane and PET waste as well as storage, dosing, and turnkey process plants. In addition to recycling flexible polyurethane foams, the project partners are already evaluating similar technologies for rigid polyurethane foams, which are widely used in insulation materials, refrigeration systems, and LNG carriers.

More information: www.hs-anlagentechnik.de, www.kpxchemical.com, www.chinyangpoly.kr

H & S Anlagentechnik GmbH, Wildau

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