LG Chem Is Targeting to Penetrate the Solar Panel Frame Market
19.10.2021 03:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
LG Chem (KRX: 051910) has developed a plastic material that can replace the metal in solar panel frames for the first time in Korea and starts full-scale market penetration.
LG Chem announced that the Company has developed ‘LUPOY EU5201’, a PC/ASA flame retardant material that maintains the material shape even during temperature changes due to its low thermal expansion levels, using their proprietary technology and manufacturing method.
* PC/ASA: Engineering plastic with enhanced physical properties made by mixing ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate) resins with polycarbonate as a base
Solar panel frames are located at the edge of solar panels to protect and support the panel from external impact. Heat resistance and strong durability against corrosion are required as the materials are exposed outside for a long time, such as on exterior walls or the roof where there is direct sunlight. Solar panel frames account for about 10% of solar panels, and are mainly made of aluminum alloy.
The ‘LUPOY EU5201’, developed by LG Chem, is a high-performance engineering plastic material that supplements the mechanical properties of general plastics by adding glass fiber to polycarbonate compounds.
It has the same level of durability as existing aluminum, but is half the weight and has excellent price competitiveness. Also, it has excellent dimensional stability that maintains its shape even in temperature changes, so it is not easily deteriorated or deformed by the external environment. The chemical decomposition caused by ultraviolet rays exposure has been reduced, which has significantly improved the lifespan of the product compared to general plastics, and the color remains the same even after long-term exposure to ultraviolet rays.
If aluminum is replaced with LG Chem's new engineering plastic material, the weight of the solar panel is expected to decrease dramatically and material cost can also be reduced. This can bring increased convenience during transportation and installation.
LG Chem has PCR PC (Post-Consumer Recycled Polycarbonate) development technology that recycles plastics used by general consumers, so the Company can also produce eco-friendly low-carbon products using high-content PCR raw materials at the request of customers. The Company also plans to review ways to collect the solar panel frame that will be discarded in the future and reproduce them into PCR PC.
LG Chem has secured mass production capability during the first half of this year and started selling products in full-scale in the third quarter. Starting with the supply for solar panel frames, the Company plans to expand the application of materials to interior and exterior materials of automobiles in the future.
Steven Kim, Leader of the Engineering Materials Division at LG Chem, stated, “Solar panel frames made of plastic have many advantages that differentiate them from existing frames, such as ease of installation, and therefore have great market potential. Based on the world's best compounding technology, LG Chem plans to lead the rapidly growing solar material market through continuous R&D and investment into mass production capabilities.”
LG Chem declared ‘carbon-neutral growth by 2050’ last year, the first company to do so in the domestic petrochemical industry, and is promoting RE100, which produces products using renewable energy at all workplaces around the world. LG Chem plans to accelerate carbon-neutral growth through the transition to renewable energy and contribute to the development of renewable energy industry such as solar power through the development of LUPOY EU5201 product.
About LG Chem
LG Chem, Ltd. is Korea’s largest diversified chemical company which operates three main business units: Petrochemicals, Advanced Materials, Life Sciences. The chemical business manufactures a wide range of products, from petrochemical goods to high-value added plastics. It also extends its chemical expertise into high-tech areas such as electronic & battery materials and drugs & vaccines. Throughout multiple production facilities and an extensive distribution network, LG Chem strives to become a leading global company. For more information, please visit the LG Chem website at www.lgchem.com.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211018005318/en/
Contact information
LG Chem, Ltd.
Sangkyu Choi, Manager
+82-2-3773-7869
choisg@lgchem.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Takeda’s Zasocitinib Demonstrates Consistent, High Rates of Skin Clearance Across the Body, Including Hard-to-Treat and High-Impact Sites, in Phase 3 Psoriasis Studies17.7.2026 01:00:00 EEST | Press release
Takeda (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) announced new data from the two pivotal Phase 3 studies of zasocitinib (TAK-279), a next-generation, highly selective and potent oral tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (PsO).1 Presented at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Innovation Academy, these secondary endpoint data show that zasocitinib demonstrated consistent and high rates of skin clearance across hard-to-treat, high-impact sites, including the scalp, nails, palms and soles, compared with placebo.1-5 These data build on the topline results from the Phase 3 randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo- and active comparator-controlled LATITUDE PsO 3001 and 3002 studies.2,6 In those studies, about 70% of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved static Physician Global Assessment (sPGA) 0/1 (clear or almost clear skin) at week 16, with a significantly greater Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 75 response rate seen as early as w
Merz Completes Inaugural €450 Million Schuldschein Loan Issuance17.7.2026 00:36:00 EEST | Press release
The Merz Group has successfully completed its first-ever Schuldschein loan issuance, placing a total volume of €450 million in the debt capital market – a multiple of three relating to the launch volume. The debut transaction was significantly oversubscribed and attracted strong interest from all investor groups. The proceeds were settled and paid out today. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260716926041/en/ Dr. Almuth Steinkühler, Chief Financial Officer Merz Group The transaction comprises both fixed- and floating-rate tranches with maturities of three, five, seven, and ten years. Around 50 German and international investors participated, representing a broad range of institutions, including private banks, German federal state-owned banks, public savings banks, cooperative banks, pension funds and occupational pension institutions. With the successful placement, Merz has further diversified its funding base by
The Estée Lauder Companies Appoints Madeleine Boyd as Senior Vice President, Global Brand Communications16.7.2026 23:22:00 EEST | Press release
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) today announced the appointment of Madeleine Boyd as Senior Vice President, Global Brand Communications, effective July 20, 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260716738393/en/ Photo by Esteban La Tessa As part of the company’s continued efforts to strengthen how its brands better connect with consumers, Ms. Boyd will establish and lead a newly integrated Global Brand Communications team. In this role, she will ensure the company’s diverse portfolio is anchored by a cohesive enterprise communications strategy, while accelerating bold, consumer-first storytelling that drives earned media, cultural relevance, and brand desirability. She will also strengthen creator engagement, helping the company’s brands gain attention where culture is being shaped. Ms. Boyd brings extensive experience spanning brand strategy, communications, consumer engagement, and cultural insight
Grid Dynamics Enters Strategic Partnership with Doosan Robotics to Accelerate Physical AI Adoption Across Manufacturing and Logistics16.7.2026 23:05:00 EEST | Press release
Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GDYN) (Grid Dynamics), a premier AI transformation partner for the Fortune 1000, announced today it has entered into a strategic partnership with Doosan Robotics, a global leader in collaborative robot solutions, delivering cutting-edge AI robotics to 45 countries worldwide. Grid Dynamics offers Doosan cobot users a GAIN Platform for Physical AI, which enables rapid creation of advanced robotic manipulation workflows, deployment of the latest physical AI models, and optimization and monitoring of robotic lines using digital twins. The GAIN Platform for Physical AI and corresponding integration services enable industrial users to solve advanced robotic automation use cases such as processing and inspection of complex-geometry objects, assembly with variability, and packaging of unseens and deformable items, which are not tractable for traditional robotics software. The partnership aims to accelerate the joint go-to-market strategy for the integrated
NetApp Acquires DataPelago, Making Data AI-Ready at the Infrastructure Layer16.7.2026 19:30:00 EEST | Press release
NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, today announced it has acquired DataPelago, a California-based AI data infrastructure company recognized for its innovative approach to eliminating data processing bottlenecks for AI and analytics workloads. The acquisition marks a foundational expansion of NetApp's portfolio, enabling GPU-accelerated data processing aligned directly with the storage layer. With this acquisition, NetApp establishes itself as the company that makes zero-copy activation of enterprise data for AI real. AI is the defining platform shift of our era, but enterprises are discovering that their greatest bottleneck is preparing, governing, and activating their data fast enough to put AI into production. The key to accomplishing this objective is to enable accelerated computing where the data is created and stored. DataPelago solves this challenge by fundamentally reimagining where accelerated compute happens: at the data layer, not above it. "
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom