Three Products Developed by POSCO to Lead the Mobility Market

POSCO electric vehicle battery pack PBP-EV (POSCO Battery Pack ? Electric Vehicle) displayed at Songdo R&D Center. The lightweight and strong Giga Steel (white) safely protects the battery from impact and reduces the weight of the electric vehicle.

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Global steel company POSCO is transforming into a 'New Mobility Comprehensive Materials Company.' In its core steel business, it has developed steel sheets for electric vehicles and Personal Air Vehicles (PAVs), and has established a large-scale production system for cathode and anode materials, which are key components of electric vehicle batteries, marking its business as being on track. Additionally, POSCO is leading technology development related to mobility by successfully developing core component materials for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the ultimate future-type automobiles.

◆ 'Giga Steel,' Automotive Steel Sheets for Electric Vehicles = With the advent of the electric vehicle era, steelmakers have begun developing new automotive steel sheets. Unlike internal combustion engine vehicles, electric vehicles run on batteries, so the body must be lightweight to maintain efficiency. However, it is not enough to be simply light; it must be light, strong, and safe.

The steelmaker that stands out most in automotive steel sheet development is POSCO. POSCO's 'Giga Steel' is an ultra-high-strength steel sheet capable of withstanding weights over 100 kg per 1㎟ area, supporting more than 25 tons on a coin-sized area equivalent to a ten-won coin. It is stronger and lighter than alternatives for electric vehicle bodies such as aluminum and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP).

In particular, Giga Steel absorbs and disperses impact during electric vehicle accidents, minimizing collision forces to protect the battery from damage and ensure passenger safety. Maintaining a strong vehicle body while significantly reducing weight has become possible with POSCO's Giga Steel.

Moreover, Giga Steel is economical and environmentally friendly. Compared to aluminum, material costs are reduced by 3.5 times and processing costs by 2.1 times, efficiently lowering production expenses. It also helps protect the environment by reducing cumulative CO2 emissions from vehicles by approximately 10% compared to previous materials, making it a smart and eco-friendly material.

Driving motor made with 'Hyper NO,' an electrical steel sheet developed by POSCO

◆ POSCO Develops Electric Vehicle Drive Motors... POSCO Chemical Emerges as a Leader in Electric Vehicle Battery Materials = POSCO has developed drive motors made with the world-class electric steel sheet Hyper NO. The motor is a key component that improves electric vehicle fuel efficiency and performance. The electric vehicle drive motor corresponds to the engine of a car, converting electrical current to rotational motion of the drive shaft. To improve motor efficiency, electric steel sheets with low power loss are required. POSCO's Hyper NO minimizes energy loss, which inevitably occurs during the conversion of electrical energy to rotational energy, achieving over 30% less energy loss compared to conventional electric steel sheets. It maximizes motor efficiency by increasing magnetic flux density and minimizing energy loss. Ultra-thin production is possible down to 0.15 mm thickness, further reducing energy loss.

Lithium-ion batteries, essential for electric vehicles, are representative secondary batteries. They are used not only in electric vehicles but also in portable mobile devices, laptops, industrial small robots, and power tools, where high capacity, high output, and long life are required. Secondary batteries consist of cathode materials, which determine battery capacity and average voltage, and anode materials, which store and release lithium ions from the cathode to allow current flow through an external circuit.

One company produces both cathode and anode materials, the core components of secondary batteries: POSCO Group's 'POSCO Chemical.' POSCO Chemical was formed last April by merging POSCO ESM, which produces world-class high-stability cathode materials, and POSCO Chemtech, the only domestic manufacturer of natural graphite anode materials. This merger enables synergy between cathode and anode materials. In August last year, POSCO Chemical completed its first overseas cathode material plant in Zhejiang Province, China, and is making large-scale preemptive investments in production lines.

◆ The Heart of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles, Fuel Cell Stack Metal Bipolar Plates = Metal bipolar plates require a technological leap for the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. POSCO has succeeded in this technological advancement.

The 'engine' of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is the 'fuel cell.' Electricity is generated in the fuel cell stack, which consists of hundreds of stacked fuel cells where hydrogen and oxygen undergo electrochemical reactions. Inside this fuel cell stack is the metal bipolar plate, a core component that serves as the supply channel for hydrogen gas and collects the generated electricity.

The challenge is that the inside of the fuel cell is acidic. Metals corrode quickly in acidic environments, so metal bipolar plates must have high corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity. Additionally, as automotive parts, they must be impact-resistant.

In the early development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the automotive industry chose to coat metal bipolar plates with gold or carbon materials to enhance corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity. However, adding coating processes increased manufacturing costs and complicated production, becoming a major obstacle to mass production and commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

In this situation, POSCO developed a world-first technology that became a turning point: the ultra-corrosion-resistant stainless steel Poss470FC and its core manufacturing process technology.

Metal bipolar plates made with Poss470FC boldly eliminated the coating process. This was possible because Poss470FC itself exhibits high corrosion resistance and conductivity without the aid of gold or carbon coatings. Without surface coatings, the plates are more compact than conventional metal bipolar plates, and costs are naturally lower since gold is not used.

Metal bipolar plates required a significant technological leap for hydrogen fuel cell vehicle commercialization. POSCO invested 13 years in developing Poss470FC. Since 2006, POSCO has pursued a project to develop metal bipolar plate materials for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, collaborating with Hyundai Motor Company on parts development since 2010, and applying the technology to Hyundai's mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell vehicle model 'Nexo' since 2018.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.