Since 2011, LG Chem has made itself stand out in the carbon nanotube (CNT) sector by commencing its own CNT technology research and development. Aside from being the holder of more than 300 patents in the CNT field, in 2013, the firm successfully built a 20-ton pilot line for CNTs and developed CNT-based products for conductive compounds and batteries.
To continue the momentum, the Korean largest chemical company has announced today that it has started construction of its fourth CNT plant at its Daesan Complex, 80 kilometers southwest of Seoul. The new plant will be the company’s CNT 4 Plant and is slated for operation in 2025 by contributing double CNT production capability to 6,100 tons annually.
Announcing the development in a press release, Noh Kug-lae, President of LG Chem’s Petrochemical Business, said: “With the nation’s largest CNT production capacity, we will continue building a strong competitive advantage in the battery materials sector and actively explore new business opportunities by moving faster than our competitors.”
LG Chem’s Fourth CNT Plant
According to the firm, it has started constructing the fourth CNT plant located at its Daesan Complex, 80 kilometers southwest of Seoul, and will begin production in 2025.
With this new plant, LG Chem will now produce 6,100 tons of CNT annually. Before this, LG Chem’s 1,200-ton CNT 3 Plant in Yeosu was recently placed into full operation, allowing LG Chem to secure an additional 1,700 tons of output each year, for a total production of 2,900 tons per year.
All four of LG Chem’s CNT plants have production lines that can generate up to 600 tons of CNT annually, which is the largest single-line capacity in the world thanks to the company’s fluidized bed reactor technology.
Expanding CNT Market to EV Battery Materials
To obtain a significant competitive edge in the worldwide CNT industry, which is quickly changing around electric vehicle (EV) battery materials, LG Chem regularly increases its CNT production capacity. To fulfill the increasing demand, LG Chem has been operating CNT factories since 2017, commencing with 500-ton output at its CNT Plant 1. New plants are being built every year from 2020.
With intentions to expand utilization to a wider range of industries, LG Chem’s CNT materials will be provided to battery manufacturers, including the company now leading the global EV battery market, LG Energy Solution, as conductive additives. CNT can lower the volume of conductive additives in batteries by roughly 30% while attaining 10% greater conductivity than carbon black when used as conductive additives for cathodes.
Despite this, LG Chem is actively expanding the markets for its CNT sales outside of EV batteries. Mitsubishi Motors, a Japanese manufacturer, has just begun using plastics from LG Chem that have CNTs incorporated as metal-replacing electrostatic coatings. Mitsubishi Motors has begun using the material on the front fenders of its three car models. In addition, different kinds of automobile components including bumper panels, hoods, tailgates, fuel doors, and side mirrors can be made from this plastic by varying and customizing it.
