Hyosung TNC, World's First Commercialization of 'Bio Spandex'

Extracting Raw Materials from Corn Instead of Coal... Opening the Era of Eco-Friendly Bio Spandex

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Hyosung TNC has succeeded in commercializing the world’s first spandex made from corn.

On the 10th, Hyosung TNC announced that it has succeeded in developing the bio spandex "Creora Bio-Based," made by processing natural raw materials extracted from corn instead of conventional coal, and has obtained global eco-friendly certification.

Creora Bio-Based received the global eco-friendly certification "Eco Product Mark" from SGS, a world-renowned certification body, in June. SGS, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, was established in 1878 and provides international standards for quality, reliability, and eco-friendliness. It certifies products of many global companies, including global fashion brands, electronics, and medical devices. The Eco Product Mark certifies products made using eco-friendly raw materials, harmless to the human body, and produced through eco-friendly methods under ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management.

Creora Bio-Based was made by replacing some of the raw materials extracted from coal, used in spandex production, with raw materials extracted from corn certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) bio certification. Raw materials extracted from corn have long been used in general textiles, packaging, cosmetics, and liquid detergents. However, due to technological limitations, high-performance fiber products like spandex could not apply these materials because they could not exhibit the unique elasticity and recovery properties. Based on its technology holding the number one global market share in spandex, Hyosung TNC succeeded in commercializing this for the first time in the world after more than a year of research and development.

According to the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment, an international standard environmental impact evaluation method), applying Creora Bio-Based reduces water usage by 39% and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 23% compared to conventional spandex. Using 1 ton of bio spandex reduces carbon emissions equivalent to the amount absorbed by 378 pine trees over one year compared to using conventional spandex materials.

Recently, with the European Union (EU) announcing the full introduction of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in 2025, global customer demand for eco-friendly materials (bio materials) from raw materials is increasing. According to the global market research firm Data Bridge, the bio fiber market size is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.5% until 2029. Bio fibers are expanding rapidly not only in clothing but also in electronics, construction, automotive, and aerospace fields due to their eco-friendliness and harmlessness to the human body. In particular, with the development of eco-friendly electric vehicles, it is expected that bio fibers will be widely used in electric vehicle interiors as well.