Gyeongnam Province Promotes Domestic Production of 'High-End Activated Carbon Material' for Mask Filters

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Woo-kwon] Gyeongsangnam-do announced on the 16th that it will actively promote the 'COVID-19 Mask Activated Carbon Raw Material Localization and Enterprise Support Project.'

This project, carried out in collaboration with the Korea Ceramic Technology Institute, was established to support activated carbon production companies in the province that are experiencing difficulties in raw material supply due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

Activated carbon manufacturers import most of their raw materials, which are charcoal-based (coconut shells, bamboo, etc.) and coal-based (pitch, coke, etc.), from Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and other countries. However, due to factory shutdowns, logistics, and customs delays caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, they are currently facing difficulties in securing raw materials.

While domestically produced 'general activated carbon' is widely used for water treatment and air purification, 'high-end activated carbon' for mask filters requires a high specific surface area and high purity carbon content, and has not yet been developed domestically.

Accordingly, Gyeongnam Province aims to localize activated carbon raw materials and simultaneously develop high-end activated carbon for mask filters. To this end, it has allocated 400 million KRW (200 million KRW in 2020) of provincial funds in this supplementary budget to support the project over two years.

The Korea Ceramic Technology Institute, which is in charge of the project, possesses numerous technologies capable of manufacturing and molding high-end activated carbon based on various raw materials such as unused domestic lignocellulosic biomass and giant silver grass. This project will focus on ▲ transferring activated carbon raw material localization technologies to local companies ▲ developing high-end activated carbon for mask filters using domestic raw materials ▲ producing prototypes and conducting test analyses.

The high-end activated carbon technology can be easily applied to current production lines of companies and can be used not only for mask filters but also for high value-added industries such as medical use, fuel cells, and energy storage devices, allowing diversification of sales channels in the future.

Kim Young-sam, Director of the Industrial Innovation Bureau of Gyeongsangnam-do, said, "Through this project, we expect to resolve raw material supply issues caused by international circumstances and link it to the stable production of masks, which have become essential health products due to fine dust and infectious diseases." He added, "We also hope to close the gap with Japan, which holds a leading position in activated carbon technology."

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