A surge in the sales of ZetaOne, HUVIS’ polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) fiber, is helping the company bounce back. 

Developed from PPS resin, which is widely used as super-engineered plastics for automotive and consumer electronics, PPS fiber features a heat and chemical resistance that is high enough for it to earn the nick name of a super fiber. Its commercial production requires such a high level of technological capability that only a handful of companies including HUVIS and Tray across the world are capable of producing it. Over 90 percent of the total production is used for bag filters with the largest consumer being China.

Large users of bag filters include thermal power plants, asphalt plants and waste incinerators where they are used to filter out particles and gas. Traditionally, they are made of synthetic or glass fibers, but recently, super fibers, including PPS fiber and Aramid, are increasingly being used to provide high performance. 

Unlike synthetic fibers that can hardly withstand high temperatures or fiber glass, which has environmental issues like flaking, PPS fiber can maintain its form based on its powerful resistance to acid and alkali and can withstand high temperatures for an extended period of time. 

As the first in Korea to develop PPS fiber in 2009, HUVIS surpassed Toyobo of Japan to become the number 2 supplier in 2017 and Toray of Japan in 2018 to become the global top. Such advancement was empowered by growth in its sales of more than 300 percent in China, North America, and Europe in 2016 and afterwards. The two years after the outbreak of the pandemic saw a decrease in demand for the fiber due to the extended cycle of replacing bag filters. Last year, however, demand started to rebound, especially in key export markets. Coupled with this, higher cost competitiveness thanks to diversified supply chain, and improved quality resulting from renovation of the production line have provided further momentum for the increase in sales.

PPS fiber is over 7 times more expensive than regular polyester, and HUVIS sold 3,700 tons of the fiber last year, accounting for 30 percent of the market. The figure was 150 percent larger compared to 2020..
“Demand for PPS fiber continues to rise as more and more power plants and factors turn to bag filters to remove particles amid the ever-tightening environmental regulations,” says Shin You Dong, CEO of HUVIS. “Based on our established market presence in China, Europe, and the U.S, we will cement our position as the world's top supplier of the fiber by expanding our presence to emerging markets that are seeing a surge in energy consumption these days, including India.” 

The company plans to increase its market share to 40 percent in the short run and sales to 6,000 tons by 2025.


[Photo] PPS fiber production line at HUVIS Jeonju Plant