Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
POSCO Future M to produce anode materials using methane gas
Hong Young-jun, left, head of the POSCO Future M Technology Research Laboratory, poses with Molten Chief Technology Officer Caleb Boyd after signing a memorandum of understanding in Seoul, March 11. Courtesy of POSCO Future M
By Park Jae-hyuk
POSCO Future M said Thursday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Molten on March 11 to produce anode materials using natural graphite made from methane gas.
The partnership between the Korean battery materials firm and the U.S. graphite producer aims to reduce reliance on graphite extracted from mines.
Under the agreement, Molten will produce graphite through pyrolysis of methane gas — a chemical process that decomposes organic materials with heat. POSCO Future M will then process Molten’s graphite into spherical form at its subsidiary, Future Graph, and send the spheres to its Sejong plant to produce anode materials.
The company explained that graphite produced with methane gas contains fewer metallic impurities than mined graphite, allowing for a shorter refining process and significantly lower production costs for anode materials.
The Korean firm will also be able to supply POSCO with hydrogen generated from pyrolysis, enabling the steelmaker to advance its hydrogen reduction ironmaking (HyREX) process. HyREX is a method of using hydrogen to convert fine iron ore into direct reduced iron, which is then melted in an electric furnace to produce hot metal.
“We have long relied on mined graphite, but by combining the raw material and material technologies of both companies, we can secure key raw materials through a new approach,” said Hong Young-jun, head of POSCO Future M Technology Research Laboratory.
“We believe this will help us diversify our supply chain and cut costs while strengthening our competitiveness in the global market.”