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Carbon materials

LG Chem expands carbon nanotube production with new plant

By Apr 14, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)

2 Min read

LG Chem employees in front of the company's new CNT production facilities (Courtesy of LG Chem) 
LG Chem employees in front of the company's new CNT production facilities (Courtesy of LG Chem) 

South Korea's LG Chem Ltd. has completed an extension of its production line for carbon nanotubes (CNTs), known as a wonder material for its strength and conductivity.

CNT has high electrical and thermal conductivity, similar to copper and diamond, and is 100 times stronger than iron. The material is costly to manufacture and currently has limited industrial application.

According to a company announcement on Apr. 14, LG Chem has finished construction of its second CNT plant in Yeosu, 300 km south of Seoul.

The second plant adds an annual production capacity of 1,200 tons, the largest in the world for a single production line, to that of the first CNT plant with 500 tons.

LG Chem said it also plans to build a third CNT plant as the material is projected to be used in a broader range of industrial segments. Analysts forecast annual CNT demand to reach 20,000 tons globally by 2024 from around 5,000 tons last year.

The company will supply CNT manufactured in the newly built plant to its wholly owned battery subsidiary, LG Energy Solution Ltd., as an anode conductive agent.

The anode conductive agent is a material that assists in the flow of electricity and electrons within lithium-ion battery cells.

LG Chem says that CNT will be substituting carbon black, a petrochemical by-product in common use as the conductive agent, improving overall battery performance.

MORE EFFICIENT BATTERIES WITH LONGER LIFESPAN

Specifically, CNT can reduce the volume of the conductive agent used in batteries by around 30%, as its conductivity is more than 10% higher than that of carbon black.

The CNT-filled batteries will have a higher capacity and longer lifespan as more of the power-generating anode materials can be filled in place of the conductive agent, explained the company.

The company plans to use CNT beyond its primary use in batteries, to other areas such as semiconductor trays, electrostatic painting of vehicles and to a high-strength construction concrete mix.

LG Chem started to research and develop CNT as early as 2011 and now holds more than 280 related patents. The company was also able to raise the quality of its CNT by replacing iron with cobalt as the catalyst.

“The global CNT market is expected to grow rapidly with wider industrial use. LG Chem will continue to lead the market with higher quality and production capacity” said Noh Kook-rae, head of LG Chem’s petrochemical business division.

Write to Jae-kwang Ahn at ahnjk@hankyung.com
Daniel Cho edited this article.
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