HD Hyundai XiteSolution said Thursday it has developed a low-temperature curing paint that cuts carbon emissions generated during the manufacturing process by more than half.
Developed after a year of research at the company's technology institute, the new paint reduces carbon emissions when painting excavators and wheel loaders by about 53 percent, equivalent to planting 104,000 pine trees annually.
The company achieved the reduction by replacing the paint's acrylic polyurethane resin with polyaspartic resin, which cures more quickly.
Unlike conventional paints that require curing at 80 to 100 degrees Celsius, the new coating hardens at 50 to 60 degrees, significantly reducing the heat energy needed during production.
HD Hyundai XiteSolution is testing the paint on its production lines and plans to deploy it at its domestic manufacturing sites, including the Ulsan Campus and plants in Incheon and Gunsan.
Once fully adopted, the technology is expected to reduce annual liquefied natural gas consumption by 320,000 cubic meters and cut carbon emissions by 689 metric tons. The paint also reduces emissions of volatile organic compounds by 69 percent, helping the company meet increasingly stringent air quality regulations.
Separately, HD Hyundai XiteSolution has developed a low-VOC coating for use at HD Hyundai Construction Equipment's operations in China and on domestic production lines for electrified equipment. The company said it is also pursuing carbon neutrality by expanding the use of renewable energy across its manufacturing operations.
"When commercialized, this will become the industry's first paint technology to directly reduce carbon emissions during the manufacturing process," a company official said.
"We will continue improving energy efficiency across our production facilities as we work toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050."
stlee0329@heraldcorp.com
