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| LG Chem says it will supply lithium-ion batteries for NASA space suits. / Courtesy of LG Chem |
By Yoon Sung-won
LG Chem will supply lithium-ion batteries for NASA space suits, the company said, Sunday.
The world's leading battery maker said the deal was a first for Korea.
"We have shown the excellence of our battery technologies before the global market as we passed the stability test by NASA, which holds a matchless position in the aerospace and space sector," LG Chem's battery business division president, Lee Woong-beom, said. "We will strengthen the partnership with NASA to provide batteries applicable to more diverse aerospace and space equipment."
An LG Chem official said the batteries will power life-support equipment in the space exploration suits, including oxygen supply, telecom and the radiation detector.
"Our batteries will work like the heart of such cutting-edge equipment," the official said.
LG Chem said the batteries will last about five times longer than silver-zinc batteries that are widely used for aerospace and military purposes.
In particular, the company said its batteries have passed NASA's internal short-circuit (ISC) stability test, achieving better results than other candidate batteries from Korea and Japan.
LG Chem said it applied its patented "stability-reinforced separator" technology to pass the test. This boosts the stability of a lithium-ion battery by coating the separator with ceramic material and increasing mechanical solidity to prevent internal short-circuit, the company said.
"The ISC device test has proved that LG Chem's battery has excellent energy density, stability and lifespan and thus is the most optimal option for NASA's space suits," a NASA official said.
According to data from international market researcher B3, the global lithium-ion battery sector is expected to grow to 169.3 gigawatt hours (GWh) by 2020, up from 90.3GWh this year. A battery capacity of 169.3GWh could supply about 2.8 million high-performance electric vehicles to run up to 320 kilometers on a full charge, LG Chem said.
The NASA deal has extended LG Chem's market coverage in next-generation applications, from electric vehicles and electric ships, to drones and space equipment.
LG Chem supplies batteries to more than 20 carmakers, including Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Renault, Volvo and Audi, and Chinese companies SAIC Motor, Great Wall Motors, FAW Automotive and Chery.
In June last year, LG Chem won a deal with Norwegian shipbuilder Eidesvik to provide lithium-ion batteries for the world's first eco-friendly hybrid ships.
The company also said it is expanding in the rapidly growing drone market with high-capacity batteries for flagship models produced by major manufacturers.
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