PPI, a Korean PVC pipe name, has set a historical milestone by exporting its PVC pipe technology to Europe, home to PVC pipes which were first developed by Germany in 1932.

The company said on Thursday it signed a license deal over its proprietary iPVC-based APPIZ pipe manufacturing technology with Spain’s GPF last week.

The transaction will bring PPI stable revenue as it involves license fees and continuous supply of iPVC materials to the Spanish firm for local production. GPF will also import and sell APPIZ joint pipes from PPI. GPF is a leading manufacturer of plastic pipes in Spain and a top five player in European Union, with sales of 220 million euros last year. It has eight plants across Spain and Morocco.

GPF turned its eyes to the Korean pipe maker after experiencing quality uncertainty in its new PVC-O products, said PPI’s chairman Lee Jong-ho. GPF dispatched its technical executives to PPI’s Hwaseong plant in July 2019 to conduct product and technology research before the latest deal.

APPIZ pipe products have emerged as an alternative to cast-iron products which lose popularity due to metal corrosion and mounting maintenance costs.

PPI’s APPIZ pipe developed after seven years of research features increased impact and tensile strength with iPVC materials. Its water pressure resistance is 30 times stronger than international standards and can be used for more than 100 years. American Water Works Association verified the pipe’s rust-free lifespan will last up to 220 years, Lee emphasized.

PPI`s iPVC materials are based on self-developed formulation technology of PVC raw materials with ultra-high degree of polymerization and special additives, as well as extrusion technology.

The APPIZ pipe is known for a 100-year lifespan product as it lasts more than twice as long even at 26 percent higher pressure compared to conventional PVC pipes.

APPIZ water pipes are now used as an alternative to aging cast-iron pipes for water pipe projects by American Water, the leading tap water supplier in the U.S., and by East Bay Municipal Utility District in Oakland, California.

[By Ahn Byung-joon and Minu Kim] [ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]