SK Geocentric Secures Technology for 'Biodegradable Plastics' with Reduced Cost and Byproducts

At the SK Innovation Environmental Science and Technology Institute laboratory in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Jae-Yeon Park, PL of SK Innovation Environmental Science and Technology Institute (Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering, right), and the research team are introducing the PLA technology research equipment. Photo by SK Geocentric

SK Geocentric has secured a new technology to produce lactic acid, a raw material for biodegradable plastic (PLA), in a sustainable way that minimizes chemical byproducts at a low cost.

On the 22nd, SK Geocentric announced that researchers at SK Innovation’s Environmental Science and Technology Institute developed a microbial fermentation method for lactic acid production and received the Excellent Technology Research Award from the Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering. This technology is expected to be utilized in SK Geocentric’s development of sustainable chemical products.

PLA naturally decomposes within 3 to 6 months when buried, making it an increasingly popular sustainable material. It is replacing petrochemical plastics (ethylene) that take over 500 years to decompose. Recently, PLA products have been used to substitute disposable forks in cafes, agricultural films, and medical tools. Market research firm Emergen Research estimated that the global PLA market size, which was $1.54 billion (approximately 2.074 trillion KRW) in 2019, will reach $13.891 billion (approximately 19.391 trillion KRW) by 2032, with an average annual growth rate of 18.5%.

However, a major obstacle to the spread of PLA has been the need to add neutralizers (calcium) during microbial fermentation to neutralize the acid for continuous fermentation, and the removal of byproducts (calcium sulfate) created through chemical reactions.

The research team selected special acid-resistant microorganisms and developed a lactic acid production technology that reduces the amount of neutralizer used by applying proprietary microbial catalytic technology. This reduces environmental burdens and treatment costs associated with byproduct disposal. Although this technology had only been commercialized by American companies due to high technical barriers, SK Geocentric has independently realized it with its own method.

Based on this R&D achievement, SK Geocentric plans to establish a commercialization plan with economic feasibility. As support policies for biodegradable materials expand worldwide and the applications of PLA increase in agriculture, transportation, medical, and packaging sectors, this achievement is expected to help secure cost competitiveness in the future PLA market.

An SK Geocentric official said, “Plastics, which have made human life convenient for the past century, can no longer ignore environmental sustainability,” adding, “We will strive to translate this R&D achievement into commercialization and expand the competitiveness of SK Innovation affiliates in the global PLA market.”