With “KY ECO”, the Korean company Kumyang is further expanding its health protection range. And it is also thinking about the environment.

The leading international manufacturer of chemical blowing agent is driving its business and developments with pollutant-free Cellcom “KY ECO”.

Whether sports and children’s play mats, shoes for medical use, or summer shoes worn without socks – they are all made primarily of polymers, plastics, or rubber, which is foamed by means of a blowing agent. Among other properties, the makes them lighter, less sensitive to impact, and provides better thermal and noise insulation performance.

However, the foaming process and the finished foam itself are not entirely harmless to humans – especially when they come into direct contact with the skin. The gases released during the manufacturing process, such as ammonia and formamide, not only smell unpleasant, but can also lead to respiratory diseases or localised skin and mucous membrane irritation. In addition, a not inconsiderable quantity of CO₂ is released in some cases – which “incidentally” is not good for the environment either.

With Cellcom KY ECO, Kumyang has introduced the world’s first blowing agent that is harmless to health and also protects the environment. KY ECO is free of hazardous gases such as ammonia, formamide, and sulphur dioxide and is inherently environmentally friendly after the foaming process. In addition, KY ECO is CO₂-free, can reduce carbon dioxide emissions during the production process, and, according to reports from a flooring producer, even save electricity.

KY ECO is particularly harmless to the skin, as it decomposes completely to form pollutant-free nitrogen – in contrast to ADCA, for example:

The electricity saving potential of KY ECO can be up to 20%, CO₂ emissions can be reduced by approx. 13% (in both cases according to data from a flooring producer). The possible reason: The decomposition temperature of KY ECO is is around 50°C lower than that of ADCA (200°C), for example.

It almost goes without saying that Kumyang’s KY ECO is also easy to use. The powder dust-free pellet form with the carrier resin EVA and 50% active propellant content can be applied and uniformly dispersed in most conventional mixing equipment.

Kumyang’s research and development department sums it up: “ADCA decomposes by heat and produces harmful gaseous products such as nitrogen, ammonia, and formamide. KY-ECO, on the other hand, is free of hazardous gases. In addition, KY-ECO has a fast cross-linking rate and excellent physical properties such as elasticity, tear resistance, and compression. No investment is needed to produce environmentally-friendly foams, as KY-ECO is excellent to use with most mixing equipment.”

The first consumer products made with KY ECO have been successfully launched in the market in the areas of children’s play mats and neoprene, sports and yoga mats. Kumyang is currently developing new concepts with a focus on health – especially for products that come into direct contact with the skin – with selected partners from production companies for medical technology, shoe soles and also from the sports and games sector.

About Kumyang:

Kumyang has become a global leader in the field of chemical blowing agents with constant innovation and a challenging spirit since the company’s founding in 1955. The company is providing new and differentiated products and services based on 2,000 sales networks in 78 countries around the world.

Kumyang continues to step towards a better future from the world’s first eco-friendly blowing agents to hydrogen fuel cells.

Kumyang is taking another leap forward as a global chemical company that manufactures and distributes a comprehensive range of eco-friendly chemical materials to create a prosperous future for customers and enhance customer satisfaction based on accumulated technological advancement and production know-how.