[Courtesy of SK Global Chemical]
SK Global Chemical said it has signed a business agreement with the Korea Smart E-Mobility Association (KEMA) to develop new materials that could reduce the weight of small electric vehicle components. KEMA is a cooperate aggregate that strengthens the competitiveness of small and medium-sized companies through technical cooperation.
Cooperation will be expanded to develop materials that can lighten the weight of bigger vehicles. In March 2021, SK Chemicals agreed with South Korea's steel group POSCO to develop light and hard steel and plastic composite materials for electric vehicles and future mobility.
"SK General Chemicals will contribute to the development of the electric vehicle industry's ecosystem by developing new materials that satisfy both the lightening and safety of very small electric vehicles through this agreement," SK Global Chemical's automotive division head Bae Sung-chan said in a statement on June 11.
SK Global Chemical has developed composite materials for vehicles. In 2018, the company developed "high crystalline polypropylene plastics (HCPP)," a high-performance material that is light and durable enough to be used for automobile interior and exterior materials such as bumpers and dashboards.
In 2019, SK Global Chemical agreed to provide its carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite material as the engine hood of Hyundai Motor's i30N Project C, a light model available in the European market. CFRP has been used for airplanes, tennis rackets, fishing rods, and others because they are lightweight and mechanically very strong.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
