Petrochemical manufacturer of LAB, NP, surfactants and specialty chemicals with plants in Korea and China.
ISU Chemical Co., Ltd.
Seoul · Ulsan · Onsan (Ulsan) · Eschborn (DE) · Taicang (CN) · Dongming (CN) · Mexico City (MX) · Shanghai (CN)New on Amplifa
About ISU Chemical
ISU Chemical Co., Ltd. is a South Korean petrochemical company founded in 1969 with headquarters in Seoul and part of the ISU Group. The company began as a manufacturer of detergent raw materials and is today a vertically integrated producer of Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) and Normal Paraffin (NP); in Korea it is the only manufacturer with LAB production capacity. The product range includes, in addition to LAB, Heavy LAB, BAB, TAB and NP, surfactants (LAS, DBSA), specialty solvents, IPA, NaSH, NMP, lubricants as well as materials for hydrogen storage (LOHC) and solid-state batteries (lithium sulfide, Li2S). Production is carried out on UOP-licensed processes and in-house process developments at the Ulsan and Onsan plants (capacity NP 216,000 t/year, LAB 140,000 t/year) as well as through joint ventures in China (Taicang, Dongming). Through ISU Chemical Germany GmbH in Eschborn, the company supplies the European market including EU-REACH compliance. Further locations and offices exist in Mexico and Shanghai.
- Site
- Seoul
- Processes
- Petrochemical production (LAB, NP, BAB, TDM, IPA, MEK, NaSH, NMP, Special Solvent, Lubricants), REACH compliance (EU REACH), Digital Transformation (DT), Process safety management (PSM/SMS), R&D (among others LOHC, solid-state battery materials, Li2S), Smart Farm / Green Bio (G.A.P certified)
- Materials
- Normal Paraffin, Linear Alkyl Benzene, Branched Alkyl Benzene, Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate, Dodecylbenzene Sulfonic Acid, TAB, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydrosulfide
- Certificates
- ISO 9001 (KSA 9001), ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 9001
- Founded
- 1969
- Industries
- Petrochemicals, Detergent/surfactant raw materials (LAB, NP, LAS), Lubricants and specialty solvents, Green Bio / Smart Farming, Hydrogen storage (LOHC), Battery materials (solid-state, Li2S)
- 01
Raw material upgrading (Normal Paraffin)
- 02
LAB/BAB synthesis (UOP process)
- 03
Sulfonation to surfactants (LAS, DBSA)
- 04
Specialty chemicals (IPA, NaSH, NMP, TDM, lubricants)
- 05
New businesses: LOHC, Li2S (solid-state batteries)
- 06
Distribution via overseas subsidiaries including EU-REACH compliance
Products and Processes
Normal Paraffin
Raw material for LAB and other applications; capacity 216,000 MT/year (Onsan).
Linear Alkyl Benzene
Detergent raw material through vertical integration from NP; capacity 140,000 MT/year.
Branched Alkyl Benzene
First product from 1973 as a detergent raw material, Korea's first manufacturer.
Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate
LAB-based surfactant for laundry and cleaning detergents.
Dodecylbenzene Sulfonic Acid
Sulfonic acid as an intermediate for surfactants.
TAB
Alkylbenzene specialty product in the product portfolio.
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent, in production since 2008.
Sodium Hydrosulfide
Specialty chemical, plant since 2012.
N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone
Solvent developed in-house in 2008, among others for battery applications.
Lithium Sulfide
Material for sulfide-based solid-state batteries, demonstration plant since 2022.
Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier
Material for hydrogen storage and transport.
TDM
Specialty chemical, plant 1997 (6,000 MT/year).
Locations
Seoul (Headquarters)
KRCentral office/Headquarters
Ulsan
KRPlant among others for LAB and lubricants
- Materials
- LAB, BAB, Special Solvent
- LAB production plant
- Chemical production plant
Onsan (Ulsan)
KRPlant for NP, lubricants and specialty chemicals
- Materials
- NP, TDM, IPA, NaSH, NMP, Li2S
- NP production plant
- Lubricant production plant
- TDM production plant
- IPA production plant
- NaSH production plant
- Li2S demo production plant
Eschborn
DEEuropean distribution ISU Chemical Germany GmbH
Taicang (Suzhou)
CNProduction JV Great Orient Chemical (LAB)
- Materials
- LAB
- LAB production plant
Dongming (Shandong)
CNJV Shandong Dongming ISU Chemical
- Materials
- MEK, PT
- MEK production plant
Mexico City
MXLatin America liaison office
Shanghai
CNRepresentative office
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrochemical production (LAB, NP, BAB, TDM, IPA, MEK, NaSH, NMP, Special Solvent, Lubricants)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Normal Paraffin (NP), Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB), Branched Alkyl Benzene (BAB), TDM, IPA, MEK, NaSH, NMP, Special Solvent, Lubricants |
10 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical production plant | ISU Chemical | – | – | 1980 | Ulsan |
| LAB production plant | ISU Chemical | – | – | – | Ulsan |
| NP production plant | ISU Chemical | – | – | 1990 | Onsan |
| Lubricant production plant | ISU Chemical | – | – | 1987 | Onsan |
| TDM production plant | ISU Chemical | – | – | 1997 | – |
| IPA production plant | ISU Chemical | – | – | 2008 | – |
| NaSH production plant | ISU Chemical | – | – | 2012 | – |
| MEK production plant | ISU Chemical | – | – | – | China (Dongming ISU) |
| LAB production plant | Great Orient Chemical Taicang Co., Ltd. | – | – | 2009 | Taicang, Suzhou, China |
| Li2S demo production plant | ISU Chemical | – | – | 2022 | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
ISU Chemical has been certified to ISO 9001 (latest revision 2015) since 1995 (DNV), to ISO 14001 since 1997 and to ISO 45001 since 2019; in 2003 the company was awarded the Quality Management Award of the National Quality Competition. Process safety is ensured through a PSM/SMS system with risk analyses of all processes; in 2020 the Onsan plant achieved the highest level in the PSM implementation assessment.
| Evidence | Ulsan | Onsan |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | ||
| ISO 14001 | ||
| ISO 45001 |
History
- 1969
Founded as ISU Chemical Industry Co.; Korea's first manufacturer of branched alkylbenzenes (BAB) as a detergent raw material
- 1973
BAB plant in Ulsan completed (13,000 MT/year)
- 1978
Technology license agreement with U.O.P. (USA) for the LAB process
- 1980
LAB plant in Ulsan completed (20,000 MT/year); founding of the technology institute
- 1988
IPO; UOP license for Normal Paraffin (NP)
- 1990
NP plant Onsan completed (132,000 MT/year)
- 1995
ISO 9001 certification (DNV); US$100 million Export Tower award
- 1997
ISO 14001 certification (DNV); LAB expansion to 140,000 MT/year; JV in Poland (ISUTLI Sp. z o.o.)
- 1998
NP plant expansion to 216,000 MT/year
- 1999
Rank 35 in the Forbes list 'World's 100 Best Mid-Cap Companies'
- 2003
Quality management award at the National Quality Competition; founding of the ISU holding
- 2004
Founding of ISU Chemical GmbH in Mannheim, Germany; office in Mexico City
- 2007
Representative office in Shanghai opened; merger of ISU Germany/ISU Europe
- 2009
JV Great Orient Chemical Taicang Co., Ltd. (with Salim Group) founded in Taicang, China
- 2016
Renamed ISU Chemical Co., Ltd.
- 2019
ISO 45001 certification; 50,000 m² Smart Farm in Yining, Xinjiang (China)
- 2022
Start of lithium sulfide (Li2S) demonstration plant; first sustainability report; collaboration with ECOPRO BM on sulfide-based solid-state batteries
- 2023
Spin-off of fine chemicals/solid-state battery materials into ISU Specialty Chemical; switch to separate representative offices