Iljin Materials unveils elecfoil with ultra-high tensile strength

Iljin Materials Co., a South Korean battery materials maker, has unveiled an ultra-high tensile elecfoil, which can significantly improve the mileage, power and stability of electric vehicles.

Iljin, the world’s second-largest elecfoil maker after Taiwan’s Chang Chun Group, said on Thursday that its new copper foil, ISS-T9, can withstand a force of 90 kg per square millimeter, the strongest of its kind in the industry.

Such tensile strength is three times that of Iljin's earlier product, ISS-T7, while the degree to which it stretches, its elongation, is the same, the company said.

Iljin said the new product has a one-year warranty compared with five months for earlier products.

A thin copper foil less than 10 micrometers thick, made through electrolysis of a copper sulfate solution, electfoil is used to make cathode collectors in rechargeable lithium batteries.

It is widely used in electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems. The growth of the EV market has generated robust growth in the elecfoil market.

“We’re confident in the competitiveness of the new foil, with its improved quality and much longer warranty period than our rivals. We also expect it to improve our profitability,” said an Iljin official.

Iljin counts Korean battery makers such as Samsung SDI Co. and global automakers as its clients.

In June, the company signed an 8.5 trillion won ($6.6 billion) deal to supply elecfoil to Samsung SDI through 2030.

Samsung said the deal covers about 60% of its electfoil needs.

Write to Byung-Keun Kim at Bk11@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.