On December 20, Huvis won the King Sejong Award at the Patent Awards 2018 2H held at Le Méridien Seoul for its polyester fiber for binders with enhanced adhesive strength (High-Performance Low Melting Fiber (HP LMF)). The King Sejong Award is the highest award of the event.

This event, held by the Korean Intellectual Property Office, has been held once or twice a year since 1992. Judges recommend good patents registered throughout the year in terms of technology and creativity and the Review Committee selects winners. Since the establishment of the event, the King Sejong Award has mostly been granted to certain industries, including IT, pharmaceuticals, medicine, bio and energy, and this is the first time that a fiber technology has won the award.

The winning product, HP LMF, features significantly enhanced adhesive strength compared to normal LMF, which is used for adhesion due to its low melting point. Conventional LMF has a low melting point and has been used typically for adhesion in automotive interior materials, industrial filers and furniture, but has an issue with losing adhesive strength when exposed to high-temperature applications such as engine rooms or headliners. The patented technology maintains high adhesive strength and durability when used in extreme environments such as automotive or industrial applications without compromising the physical properties of the existing LMF.

When selecting winners, the Patent Awards looks for not only technological excellence but also comprehensively takes into account economic efficiency, ripple effects, competitiveness and technological values. HP LMF was highly evaluated for not only achieving the leading global market share but also replacing harmful chemical bond with fiber, thereby improving working environments and reducing toxic emissions such as the ones that cause sick house/car syndrome.

"We tried to break a stereotype that fiber is used only for clothing and developed a new field of fiber for thermal adhesion to become the global leader, and we are pleased to see our efforts pay off," stated Park Seong-yoon, Director of Huvis R&D Center. "Not wishing to rest on our laurels, we will continue to contribute to realizing a better way of life with more advanced technologies."

Meanwhile, Huvis' LMF was designated as a World Class Product of Korea in 2001 and has since then maintained the certification for 18 years. Currently, the company holds 30 related patents including this one. The adhesive fiber market is continuously growing every year at about 8% CAGR.


▲ At the Patent Awards 2018 2H held on December 20, Park Seong-yoon (right), Director of R&D Center of Huvis, the winner of the King Sejong Award, and Park Won-joo, Commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office, can be seen posing for a commemorative photo.