Producer
ISU Chemical
South Korean specialty chemical company (HQ Seoul, part of ISU Group); develops and manufactures IPA using its own proprietary technology at plants in Ulsan and Onsan. Monthly IPA capacity of 4,000-5,000 metric tons (48,000-60,000 MT/year as of 2020). ISU Chemical's IPA demand from Europe spiked dramatically during COVID-19 in March 2020. ISU also produces TDM (tert-dodecyl mercaptan), SS (sodium stearate), and NMP (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) — all developed using in-house technology. ISU Chemical is part of the ISU Group, a Korean conglomerate with 50+ year history. The same company that sells hand sanitizer ingredient IPA also makes NMP, which is a critical solvent for lithium-ion battery electrode coating.
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1
Facilities
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2 inputs ISU Chemical supplies
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IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol)
45%NMP (N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone)
30%TDM (Tert-Dodecyl Mercaptan)
15%Specialty Chemicals
10%
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Did you know2023
ISU Chemical Korea produces IPA and also NMP (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) — NMP is the critical solvent used to coat cathode slurries onto aluminum foil in lithium-ion battery manufacturing. The same Korean company that supplies hand sanitizer ingredient IPA to Europe is also a supplier of EV battery electrode coating solvent. When NMP came under environmental scrutiny (EU REACH restrictions, EPA review), ISU Chemical's NMP operations were directly affected. Few battery analysts track ISU as an IPA company, and few IPA analysts know about the NMP connection.
ISU Chemical ↗Origin2023
ISU Chemical is part of ISU Group, a South Korean conglomerate founded over 50 years ago. ISU Chemical developed proprietary technology for IPA, NMP, and TDM production — unusual in the specialty chemicals space where most producers license technology from Western companies (Shell, Dow, BASF). By developing its own process technology, ISU Chemical achieved cost positions competitive with global majors in IPA while also establishing production capabilities in specialty chemicals (NMP, TDM) that most commodity chemical companies don't pursue. The company is headquartered in Seoul with manufacturing in Ulsan/Onsan — Korea's petrochemical industrial heartland near the Ulsan industrial complex.
ISU Chemical Co., Ltd. ↗