Dongkuk Steel Achieves Commercialization of Fully Imported 'Clad Heavy Plate'

"Localization of High-Value Gangjong... Contribution to Supply Stabilization"

Clad heavy plate product of Dongkuk Steel. (Photo by Dongkuk Steel)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Dongkuk Steel announced on the 17th that it has become the first in Korea to successfully commercialize 'clad heavy plates,' which have an annual domestic demand of 20,000 tons but have been entirely dependent on imports. Cladding is a bonding technology that combines different metals to take advantage of the strengths of each metal.

Dongkuk Steel secured both strength and corrosion resistance with clad heavy plates, which are heavy plates thinly coated with stainless steel, while also achieving cost competitiveness compared to heavy plates using stainless steel alone. Before commercialization, they directly manufactured a demo vessel using clad heavy plates and verified safety through precise evaluations of strength and pressure.

Clad heavy plates are mainly used in the manufacture of high-strength, corrosion-resistant pressure vessels and line pipes for storing and transporting gases and liquids in the chemical and refining industries. Domestic demand is about 20,000 tons annually, and since there were no steel suppliers capable of providing them, most have relied on American and Japanese products.

Dongkuk Steel has participated in the government’s project to localize clad heavy plates since 2020 through its Special Steel Business Team. Last month, it supplied products to customers for the first time, achieving the first domestic commercialization. The Special Steel Business Team was newly established in the second half of 2018 to create new demand for heavy plates through the development of new steel grades. Prior to clad heavy plates, they introduced the 'DK-LP Plate,' which combines two heavy plates of different thicknesses into one, gaining commercial recognition.

A Dongkuk Steel official said, "We expect this commercialization of clad heavy plates to contribute to the steel supply, production, and delivery competitiveness of domestic pressure vessel and line pipe manufacturers," adding, "We plan to focus on producing high value-added heavy plates through equipment rationalization and technological advancement."

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