Courtesy of LG ElectronicsSEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - LG Electronics is expanding its push into functional materials beyond home appliances, deploying a proprietary mineral-releasing material in a four-year marine restoration project as it seeks to develop the technology into a new business-to-business growth engine.
The company said Thursday it signed an agreement with South Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, South Gyeongsang Province and the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency to create an underwater forest off Goseong on the country's southern coast.
Under the project, the partners will apply LG Marine Balance, a functional material developed by LG, across about 1.5 square kilometers of waters off Deokmyeong-ri in Goseong between 2026 and 2029.
The material releases mineral ions when it comes into contact with water, supplying nutrients used by seaweed and salt-tolerant plants. LG said it can adjust the amount and speed at which minerals are released depending on environmental conditions and manufacture the material in different forms, including beads and flat chips.
Government agencies and other participants will monitor seaweed growth and changes in the marine environment after the material is deployed.
LG has already been testing the technology at a 1,500-square-meter salt marsh near the Nakdong River estuary in Busan and another 1,500-square-meter site in the Suncheon Bay tidal flats.
The project also forms part of LG's effort to turn decades of research in glass powder-based functional materials into a commercial B2B business.
LG began researching the materials in 1996 and has secured about 420 related patents. Last year, it completed regulatory registrations for antimicrobial agents required to enter the U.S. and European markets, according to the company.
The company currently operates a functional-materials production line with annual capacity of about 4,500 metric tons at its Changwon Smart Park and recently added a 2,000-ton line at its Hai Phong plant in Vietnam.
The Vietnam facility is intended to supply markets including North America, Europe, China, India and Southeast Asia.
LG's functional-materials portfolio also includes PuroTec, an antimicrobial and antifungal material designed for use in plastics, paints and rubber, and Mineral Wash, an inorganic detergent ingredient designed to reduce the number of rinse cycles required in washing.
"We will continue to develop functional material technologies that contribute to environmental conservation and addressing climate change, while expanding them into B2B business opportunities," said Choi Sung-bong, head of LG Electronics' Built-in and Cooking Solutions business.
AJP Takeaways
- LG will deploy its mineral-releasing Marine Balance material across about 1.5 square kilometers off Goseong through 2029 to test its role in restoring marine ecosystems.
- The project doubles as a real-world test bed for a functional-materials business LG has developed since 1996, backed by about 420 related patents.
- LG is scaling the business beyond Korea, with annual functional-material production capacity of about 4,500 tons in Changwon and another 2,000 tons recently added in Vietnam.
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