• Combining material, film, and finished-product technologies through collaboration with Toray Advanced Materials and Hansol HomeDeco
• Improving processability while retaining the strengths of conventional GAG PET film, with expectations for a broader range of applications

SK Chemicals has broadened the range of applications for its existing products by applying a technology that enhances the flexibility of decorative sheets for furniture and interior use.

SK Chemicals announced on May 30 that it has developed a flexible decorative sheet incorporating SKYPEL, its elastomer material, in collaboration with Toray Advanced Materials. Hansol HomeDeco applied this decorative sheet to its existing product, Story Film, unveiling an upgraded version with improved processability and applicability.

The newly developed decorative sheet retains the strengths of GAG PET film, which has long been used for premium interior and furniture applications, while featuring enhanced flexibility.

GAG PET film is a composite sheet material that applies a GAG (Glycol-modified Amorphous Polyester) structure based on PET. With its high transparency, gloss, and vivid color rendering, it has been widely used as a premium finishing material for furniture and interiors.

By adding SKYPEL, a polyester-based thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE), to this structure, the material's flexibility was enhanced. SKYPEL combines the flexibility of rubber with the strength of engineering plastics and is characterized by excellent heat resistance, mechanical strength, impact resistance, and chemical resistance.

Story Film featuring SKYPEL has been improved to adhere tightly without lifting, even on curved or angular surfaces, while maintaining the appearance quality, such as color and gloss, that the existing product delivered. This makes it possible to unify flat and curved surfaces with a single material, achieving design consistency throughout a space.

This achievement is significant in that it combined the technological capabilities of each company based on a value chain spanning from material to intermediate product to finished product, thereby enhancing both the performance and the real-world applicability of the existing product.

SK Chemicals supplied SKYPEL, Toray Advanced Materials provided the manufacturing technology for the GAG film that incorporates it, and Hansol HomeDeco built on this to improve the performance of its existing Story Film product and bring it to fruition as the final product.

A representative of Hansol HomeDeco said, “By combining material technology and film technology in our existing product, we were able to further raise the level of refinement in the actual processing and installation stages. Building on this, we expect to expand its application to a wide range of designs and structural environments.”

SK Chemicals’ strategy is to continue expanding the scope of its material applications through collaboration with partners that have expertise in their respective fields, building on its diverse portfolio of specialty materials.

Kim Eung-soo, Head of SK Chemicals’ Green Materials Business Division, said, “This project is a case in which applying material technology to an existing product led to a tangible improvement in performance. Going forward, we will continue to expand into a wide range of application areas together with our customers, based on our differentiated specialty materials.”

[Photo caption: A view of lower kitchen cabinets finished with Story Film featuring SKYPEL. (Source: Haemil, an interior design firm)]