● INITZ Releases Anti-fog Headlamp Using PPS

- INITZ has succeeded to apply its new material “chlorine-free PPS” which is developed for the first time in the world.
- The material is applied through the low out-gas technology which resolves the problem of lamp haze.
- INITZ has applied for joint patents with Hyundai Mobis home and abroad and proceeds to expand its reach to the global market.



INITZ, a subsidiary of SK chemicals, is making inroads into the auto-parts market.

SK chemicals (CEO: Cheol Kim) announced on June 25th that its subsidiary INITZ (CEO: Hyo-kyeong Kim) specializing in PPS is entering the auto parts market. The same announcement was published by Hyundai Mobis the day before.

INITZ now proceeds to enter the market of automotive lamps. Even global manufacturers have been struggling with technical development of automotive lamps due to the harsh condition of the development that long exposure to high temperature is a requirement to develop the lamps.

INITZ put up the PPS, which is a new material for automotive parts and is developed with its self-developed low out-gas technology, to fundamentally resolve the long-standing problem of lamp haze that has remained unresolved in the automotive lamp market.

“Lamp haze” refers to a phenomenon that the gas generated from the plastic parts of the lamps adheres to the inside walls of the parts tuning the lamps foggy. This phenomenon degrades the light distribution of the automotive lamps, which impairs visibility of drivers when he/she drives at night and, as a result, poses safety threats to both drivers and pedestrians. It is also known that it makes the appearance of the vehicle poor and affects the performance and quality of the vehicle.

Since lamp haze occurs due to an inherent property of plastic, which produces gas at high temperature, many global manufacturers have not been able to find a fundamental solution. In fact, they have been focusing on applying workarounds by changing the internal structure of a lamp, instead of resolving the problem fundamentally.

As the internal temperature of a lamp can rise up to 200°C, the lamp needs to have strong resistance to humidity that is generated by the gap between the inside and outside temperatures. It also needs high rigidity that its parts are not shaken by strong external vibration.

To fundamentally resolve the problem of lamp haze, INITZ entered into the partnership with Hyundai Mobis to develop a new material for automotive lamps and finally succeeded to make the new material/

NITZ’s PPS differentiates itself from other PPS materials since it is manufactured environmentally-friendly and produces little gas and impurities. To enhance rigidity, INITZ added glass fiber and high molecular weight additives to the material, which led the company to develop the new material that satisfies various requirements without generating gases.

The new PPS satisfied major assessment criteria, such as heat/humidity resistance. In addition, the reliability of the new PPS was confirmed through the “harsh environment testing,” in which a lamp made of the new material was placed in a chamber and was turned on and off repeatedly over 72 hours to see if haze occurs in the lamp.

INITZ, a subsidiary of SK chemicals, developed the world’s first *chlorine-free PPS technology in 2013, starting to lead the technology development of the industry. Likewise, the company also developed the low out-gas technology, which is also applied to the new material, for the first time in the world, and the material is expected to be used for many other auto parts.

Hyundai Mobis has planned to use the new material to manufacture all its lamps in production to fundamentally resolve the problem of lamp haze.

“Unlike other new technologies, the technology to develop new materials can be applied to specific product lines as a whole nearly at the same time of completion of development. It is expected to have a huge ripple effect in the market in the future,” said an industry expert.

“We solved the lamp haze problem that has long been in the industry by utilizing our technology and experience we have earned during the development of the chlorine-free PPS for the first time in the world,” said the CEO of INITZ, Hyo-kyeong Kim. “We plan to expand our reach to the global auto part market by continuously developing technologies to make new material,” she added.

INITZ plans to accelerate its global business based on its lamp technology that has been upgraded with the new material. Since the lamp is one of the critical design components that determines the exterior design of a vehicle, the company expects that the new PSS, which fundamentally resolves the fog issue, will give the company a competitive edge in the global competition for part materials.

INITZ and Hyundai Mobis are currently preparing for a joint application for patents together at home and abroad.





※ Terms

* INITZ (www.initzpps.com): Established in 2013, INITZ is a joint venture of SK chemicals and TEIJIN Ltd. that specializes in environment-friendly PPS. INITZ＇s vision is "to become the global leader in providing total PPS solutions."

* Light Distribution: The luminous intensity and spatial distribution of the light source. Generally, it refers to the level of light transmission and diffusion.

* Chlorine-Free PPS (Poly Phenylene Sulfide): This type of PPS is a material of super engineering plastic that has excellent chemical resistance and thermal stability. Thanks to its outstanding heat resistance and rigidity, which enables it to even endure 250°C, this novel polymer material replaces metal in manufacturing vehicles, electrical/electronic products, and machinery. It is the most cost-competitive super engineering plastic because it is light-weighted and relatively cheap. The scope of its application is gradually expanding, as it is used for components of delicate instruments that are used in chemical plants and semiconductor factories, peripheral parts such as engine and motor and part materials for light-weight electric and hybrid cars. SK chemicals＇ PPS was developed as the world＇s first chlorine-free PPS that can enable manufacturers to not use chlorine in manufacturing.