Building on a partnership dating from 2018, when Netherlands-based Avantium joined forces with R&F Chemical to boost its catalysis business in South Korea, the two companies today announced that they were expanding this relationship to include the PEF business.
Avantium Renewable Polymers and R&F Chemical will collaborate on the marketing and development of high-value markets for PEF in electronics and smart packaging in Korea. PEF is a 100% plant-based and fully recyclable performance polymer based on Avantium’s proprietary YXY plants-to-plastics technology. The company, who announced its intention to build a 5-kiloton flagship PEF production plant in June of the year, says the partnership is a ‘further validation of Avantium’s strategy to focus on high-value applications for PEF’.
R&F Chemical brings a long-standing and excellent which has a highly-advanced performance materials and chemical sector. Through R&F Chemical, which has an excellent network in polymers and chemicals in South Korea, Avantium Renewable Polymers expects to be able to gain a footing in the market for high-value applications.
“PEF has the capacity to significantly improve the performance and sustainability of our customers' end products,” Peter Park, CEO of R&F Chemical noted.
His company sees fast-growing interest for PEF across the globe, said Marcel Lubben, managing director of Avantium Renewable Polymers. “R&F Chemical is highly respected as a leader in the development and marketing of high-performance sustainable plastics […] who brings us access to important market players in South Korea,” he added.