SK On, the battery manufacturing unit of SK Innovation (096770.KS), said on the 18th that it held its second Institute of Future Technology research conference to strengthen technology leadership and spread a research-driven corporate culture.
The event was held on the 14th and 15th at SK On's Institute of Future Technology in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, under the theme "The Future We Create." SK On President Lee Yong-wook and Park Ki-soo, head of the Institute of Future Technology, attended.
Research projects were submitted in six categories this year: battery processes, cells, systems, materials, next-generation technology and platforms. Entries totaled about 300, up roughly 15% from a year earlier.
The grand prize went to a team that developed a process to replace expensive carbon nanotube (CNT) paste with CNT powder in manufacturing cathodes for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
The team drew high marks for dispersing CNT powder evenly through the cathode material, improving cost competitiveness over the existing CNT paste process while delivering comparable performance. SK On plans to review applying the technology to actual production lines.
Separately, teams that designed electrodes for large-area pouch-type lithium metal batteries and that developed a model to predict capacity loss and internal resistance based on charge-discharge cycles and storage conditions won the first-place and second-place awards, respectively.
"The Institute of Future Technology conference, now in its second year, is an important venue where our employees' challenges and research results translate into SK On's technological competitiveness," Lee said. "We will further spread a research-driven culture and continue pursuing the technology innovation that will lead the next-generation battery market."