[K-Industry, Architects of the Future] Shattering the 'Weak Eco-Friendly Plastic' Stereotype... 17 Years of White Bio Material Dedication

(13) Ryu Hoon, Head of Business PU at Samyang Inochem

Isosorbide Extracted from Corn Starch

High-Performance Material Enhancing Heat Resistance and Rigidity

Second in the World to Commercialize, Starting in 2009

Overcame Patent

Editor's NoteThe landscape of K-industry is rapidly changing. Even amidst the fierce currents of the global market, next-generation researchers and engineers are quietly designing the future. They are the lifeblood of Korea’s economy and the real protagonists who will sustain the Korea of tomorrow. The Asia Business Daily presents a special interview series, 'K-Industry: Future Architects,' spotlighting these innovators’ technological worlds and visions. The thirteenth installment features Ryu Hoon, Head of Business PU at Samyang Inochem, who led the first domestic and second global commercial production of the white bio-material ‘Isosorbide.’

When people hear “plastic made from corn,” they often assume that while eco-friendly, the material’s properties must be inferior. Ryu Hoon, Head of Business PU at Samyang Inochem, is the person who has completely overturned this stereotype.

Ryu Hoon, Head of the Business PU at Samyang Inochem, is posing before an interview with The Asia Business Daily on the 27th at Samyang Holdings in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The isosorbide he has been leading the development and commercialization of for the past 17 years is a bio-based chemical raw material, made by converting glucose derived from corn starch into sorbitol and then dehydrating it. Not only does it replace petroleum-based raw materials, but it is also a high-performance material that enhances plastics’ heat resistance, rigidity, transparency, and chemical resistance.

“There are limits to customers paying extra simply because something is eco-friendly. Isosorbide is not used just because it’s sustainable—it is actually chosen for its performance, and on top of that, it’s eco-friendly.”

Samyang Inochem became the first in Korea and the second in the world to commercialize isosorbide. From the approval of the R&D project in January 2009 through investment in pilot facilities, customer spec-in (meaning a particular material is required for mass production), and completion of the commercial plant, Ryu oversaw the entire process.

Ryu Hoon, Head of Business PU at Samyang Innochem, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily on the 27th at Samyang Holdings in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

“I started by getting the project approved, invested in a pilot facility, achieved customer spec-in, built a plant, and followed through to completion.” As he puts it, the history of Samyang’s isosorbide is his own resume.

The beginning was not smooth. Originally, he was a researcher developing ingredients for bread and instant noodles at a food research institute, but when he declared he would develop raw materials for plastics, those around him were skeptical. He responded by spending six months building a simple test process and preparing materials, then presented them at the approval meeting. Although he faced opposition, a persistent effort eventually kept the project alive. Afterwards, he even transferred from the food department to the chemicals division.

There were three major hurdles to commercialization: overcoming global firms’ patents, establishing proprietary production processes, and opening a market that did not previously exist.

The first major challenge was patents. When patents from global chemical firms blocked the direction Samyang was pursuing, instead of working around them, Samyang filed lawsuits to invalidate the patents. They won the first trial, but after that had to fight the company that acquired the patent in the second trial. Contrary to concerns, Samyang, after thorough preparation, won not only the first and second trials but also the third, thus securing the right to develop their own technology.

The technical development also had to start from scratch. At that time, even standard analytical methods for measuring purity and impurities in isosorbide were not properly established.

“The reagent we thought was 100% pure and used as our standard turned out to be only around 95%.” It took months just to uncover this error in measurement standards, and all the previous data had to be reviewed from scratch. The research team visited Japanese and German equipment manufacturers, ran repeated tests, and gradually completed each part of the production equipment and process.

After making the product, a new problem arose: over time, the color of polycarbonate and polyester changed. The cause was trace amounts of oxidation by-products, but existing antioxidant techniques were protected by competitors’ patents. Samyang spent about a year reviewing new substances and developed a stabilization technology suitable for isosorbide, obtaining domestic and international patents.

Constructing the commercial plant was also not easy. Normally, petrochemical plants purchase process technology and detailed engineering diagrams from specialized firms and receive support for pilot operation. Samyang, however, had to handle everything from design to process stabilization by themselves, based on a highly original, self-developed process.

Overview of Samyang Inochem's isosorbide production plant. Samyang Inochem

“Sometimes you only recognize a plant issue after enough time has passed—and there’s no one you can complain to.” It took another two to three years of trial and error to stabilize commercial production. Five years after launching the project, Samyang built a pilot facility; then, following eight more years of work, in 2022, completed a full-scale commercial plant in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, with an annual capacity of 15,000 tons.

The secret to isosorbide’s performance-enhancing effect in plastics lies in its robust double-ring molecular structure. This structure restricts the movement of polymers, so their shape does not easily change even under heat. In polyesters, it boosts heat resistance and transparency; in polycarbonates, it enhances surface hardness and weather resistance. Applied in adhesives, coatings, and polyurethanes, it improves strength and durability.

However, performance varies depending on the type of resin, concentration, blend, and process conditions, so customized development with customers is essential. Ryu describes this as an “upgrade-type bio-material” that can enhance the functionality of even conventional materials.

Even after securing independent technology and building the plant, a major barrier remained: pioneering the market. During the early stages of development, concepts like “eco-friendly” or “biomass” were not as prominent as they are now. Customers doubted whether a corn-derived material could really be used for industrial purposes.

Moreover, for clients to use a new raw material, they needed to modify blending and production processes and receive new quality evaluations and certifications. The price was higher than traditional petroleum-based materials, so eco-friendliness alone wasn’t persuasive enough.

So Samyang chose not to attack all markets at once, but instead identified products that truly required the performance of isosorbide. They developed high-heat-resistant polyester with Korean chemical firms and pioneered the bio-based polycarbonate market with Japanese partners.

Ryu Hoon, Head of Business PU at Samyang Innochem, is interviewed by The Asia Business Daily on the 27th at Samyang Holdings in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Applications then expanded to food and cosmetics containers, home appliances, and automotive parts, and now are being extended to adhesives for EV motor cores, insulators for LNG storage tanks, and even dental 3D printing materials.

The project faced the threat of shutdown several times. Whenever the market grew more slowly than expected, some advocated scrapping the business. But Ryu insisted on retaining the technology and market by leveraging government projects—even if only at minimal cost.

“Do you know the secret to success? Just live long enough until you succeed.” This is a phrase that has stayed with him to this day. “You just keep going until you make it.”

The results are now becoming visible: compared to 2022, sales volume in 2025 has increased 2.5 times, and customer accounts expanded from only two to thirty. Based on technology accumulated in food and chemical businesses, Samyang has filed around 300 related patent applications.

Ryu emphasizes, “White bio-products, which still lack a dominant player, present a new opportunity for Korea’s petrochemical sector to achieve global competitiveness.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.