Samyang Innochem partners with Graphy to develop bio-based dental materials

Samyang Innochem signed a joint development agreement with Graphy, a company specializing in 3D-printing dental materials, on Tuesday to co-develop bio-based dental solutions, the company announced Wednesday.

Under the agreement, Samyang Innochem will supply isosorbide — an eco-friendly bio-based material — and provide technical support to optimize it for dental applications. Graphy will lead the development and commercialization of high-performance dental resins incorporating isosorbide.

Interest in high-performance bio-based dental materials has been growing in the global medical market. Research into bio-materials with superior biocompatibility and physical properties is particularly active for medical devices worn inside the mouth, such as orthodontic appliances and prosthetics.

Isosorbide is a bio-based material derived from starch extracted from plant sources such as corn and chemically processed, making it well suited to improving the performance of dental materials. Only a handful of companies worldwide can produce isosorbide — among them Samyang Innochem and France's Roquette. Samyang Innochem is the sole domestic producer.

Through the agreement, the two companies plan to develop bio-based dental materials free from endocrine-disrupting chemicals and establish a technological edge in the global digital dentistry market.

"This agreement will serve as an opportunity for isosorbide to move beyond the chemical materials market and enter the high-value-added medical device market," said Ryu Hun, head of the business unit at Samyang Innochem.

"We will leverage both companies' technological capabilities to develop dental materials that are safe and sustainable, and strengthen our competitiveness in the global digital dentistry market," said Shim Un-seop, CEO of Graphy.

Meanwhile, Samyang Innochem completed construction of an isosorbide production factory in 2022 at the Gunsan Free Trade Zone — the first in South Korea and the second in the world — spanning about 23,100 square meters. The facility has an annual output capacity of 15,000 tons. The company plans to steadily increase annual output through equipment efficiency improvements and scale-up investment.