KGA "Full-scale Development of Oxide-based Key Materials for All-solid-state Batteries"

KGA, which is pursuing a merger with Samsung SPAC No.9, announced on the 24th that it has been selected by the Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology for the ‘Energy Ceramic Material Development Support Project for Aerospace and Defense,’ and will actively promote the development of oxide-based core materials for all-solid-state batteries.

The ‘high-safety oxide all-solid-state ceramic material’ developed by KGA is a next-generation material essential for manufacturing the ‘solid electrolyte,’ a core raw material of all-solid-state batteries. It fundamentally solves the fire and leakage problems of conventional liquid electrolyte-based secondary batteries, attracting attention in the next-generation battery market that demands high safety.

This material exhibits excellent properties such as △non-flammability △ion conductivity △mechanical strength △storage stability. It can be widely applied in advanced future industries such as electric vehicles (EV), energy storage systems (ESS), aerospace, and defense. It is also expected to demonstrate outstanding performance in fields where small batteries are widely used, such as humanoid robots.

The greatest advantage of all-solid-state batteries is their ability to maintain stable performance even in extreme environments. Space has harsh conditions such as extreme temperature changes, vacuum, radiation, and microgravity, where conventional liquid electrolyte batteries risk freezing at low temperatures or exploding at high temperatures. Additionally, exposure to radiation may cause electrolyte decomposition and electrode degradation.

Unlike sulfide-based electrolytes, oxide-based solid electrolytes in all-solid-state batteries do not react with moisture in the air, eliminating the risk of generating the toxic byproduct ‘hydrogen sulfide.’ This makes them more stable for use in sealed environments such as spacecraft and submarines.

KGA plans to develop dedicated equipment for mass production alongside this material development. Once equipment development is completed, KGA’s portfolio of all-solid-state battery process equipment will be significantly expanded, which the company expects will further strengthen its market competitiveness.

KGA aims to complete prototype production and performance certification by next year, and to start pilot production lines and secure initial customers.

A KGA official stated, “Rather than directly entering the materials business, KGA is pursuing this project to first succeed in material development and then develop dedicated equipment capable of mass production. Once certain results are confirmed, we will actively conduct sales activities targeting global cell makers and automakers based on this.”