COMPANY PROFILE / NANOTECHNOLOGY
LG Chem
A South Korean chemical company that mass-produces multi-walled carbon nanotubes in fluidized-bed reactors, as the conductive additive mixed into battery electrodes (CNTs only)
LG Chem is a major South Korean chemical company with petrochemicals, advanced materials (including battery materials) and life sciences businesses. This article covers only its carbon nanotube (CNT) business. According to the company's official product page, LG Chem makes only multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs), not single-walled ones, and the main use is as a conductive additive for lithium-ion batteries. The company reports that three plants in Yeosu are operating with a combined capacity of 2,900 tonnes a year. In May 2023 it announced that construction of a fourth plant (3,200 tonnes a year) had begun at Daesan, with operation planned for 2025 and a combined 6,100 tonnes a year. Yet the production-capacity table in the company introduction it published in 2026 (as of the fourth quarter of 2025) lists CNTs at 3 KTA (about 3,000 tonnes a year), and nothing confirms that the fourth plant has started up. CNT sales are not disclosed either. Drawing on the company's official announcements, product page and results materials, this article sets out what could be confirmed and what could not, and then explains, from a materials engineer's view, how bundle form, catalyst and dispersion bear on CNT performance.
- At a glance: LG Chem and its place in nanotechnology
- Logo and naming
- Where the company sits in nanotechnology
- Company scale
- Resources committed to nanotechnology
- Track record
- Plans
- What the company is aiming for in nanotechnology
- Partnership map for nanotechnology
- Technologies, products and services
- Risks
- Glossary
- References
- Claim-to-source audit
1. At a glance: LG Chem and its place in nanotechnology
(LG Hwahak in Korean)Established January 1947
Listed in KoreaListed on the Korea Stock Exchange in 1969 (history in the company introduction). The ticker code was not checked in official documents
Mainly battery conductive additiveThe product page states it makes MWCNTs only. It does not make single-walled CNTs
(was planned for 2025)Construction start announced May 2023. Its current status could not be confirmed from official documents
LG Chem's CNTs are a small materials business within a large company, and sales are not published. What can be confirmed is that operating capacity is 2,900 tonnes a year, that only multi-walled CNTs are made, and that the company says it supplies conductive additives to battery makers including LG Energy Solution Sourced. In August 2022 the company announced a plan to start up a fourth plant (Daesan, 3,200 tonnes a year) in the second half of 2024; the May 2023 announcement of the construction start moved operation to 2025. But the capacity table in the 2026 company introduction (as of Q4 2025) still shows CNTs at 3 KTA. Official documents say nothing on the fourth plant's present status, so this article treats it as not confirmed. A plan to add capacity is not the same as capacity added Not yet confirmed.
2. Logo and naming
The logo is the corporate logo (the red circle with "LG" and the word "Chem") published in the header of LG Chem's official website, lgchem.com, obtained as-is. It is not a generated reproduction.
A note on names: the company is LG Chem, Ltd. (LG Hwahak in Korean, "LG Kagaku" in Japanese). LG Energy Solution, the battery business, is a separate listed company but is consolidated into LG Chem's results, and it appears in the company's materials as one of the customers for CNTs. This article covers only the CNT business that LG Chem itself runs.
Official website: https://www.lgchem.com/3. Where the company sits in nanotechnology
LG Chem's primary type is nanomaterial producer; it has no secondary type. It makes multi-walled CNTs, a different material from the single-walled CNTs covered in this series' profile of Zeon, which mass-produces them. The table below sets out the materials and uses covered in this article, as far as they could be confirmed.
| Material, use | LG Chem's position | Primary sources | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-walled CNT as a battery conductive additive (BT1001M, BT1003M) | The centre of this article. Two grades for lithium-ion batteries (high-conductivity and high-dispersion). Supplied as a cathode conductive additive to LG Energy Solution and others, it says. The company also says CNTs can help keep the conductive network in silicon-based anodes | Official product page, press releases, official blog | Sourced (company statement) |
| Multi-walled CNT as a conductive additive for plastics and rubber (GP1001M, GP1003M) | Conductive plastics, conductive elastomers, conductive coatings and so on. The company says it is used in an electrostatically paintable plastic for front fenders at Mitsubishi Motors, and in radar electromagnetic absorption at a South Korean automaker | Official product page, press releases, official blog | Sourced (company statement) |
| Single-walled CNT | The product page says "MWCNTs only," so it does not make them | Official product page | Sourced |
| Graphene, quantum dots and other nanomaterials | Could not be confirmed in the company's CNT materials. Other nanomaterial businesses are outside this article | - | Not yet confirmed |
4. Company scale
LG Chem is a large company, and the whole group spans petrochemicals, advanced materials, life sciences and more. The table below shows company-wide scale, followed by what is disclosed for CNTs Sourced.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Consolidated sales | KRW 45.9 trillion in 2025 (KRW 48.7 trillion the year before). By division: Energy Solution KRW 23.7 trillion, Petrochemicals KRW 17.9 trillion, Advanced Materials KRW 4.1 trillion, Life Sciences KRW 1.4 trillion, Farm Hannong KRW 0.8 trillion (the divisional figures do not add up to the consolidated figure, and the materials do not explain the adjustment) |
| Operating profit | KRW 1,181 billion in 2025 (KRW 875 billion the year before). By division: Petrochemicals -KRW 356 billion, Advanced Materials KRW 146 billion, Life Sciences KRW 128 billion, Energy Solution KRW 1,346 billion, Farm Hannong KRW 38 billion |
| Employees | 12,765 in Korea and 4,446 overseas (end of 2025, as stated in the Sustainability Report) |
| Company-wide R&D and capital investment | Excluding Energy Solution: R&D KRW 1,058 billion and capital investment KRW 2,893 billion in 2025 (of which Petrochemicals KRW 915 billion) |
| Headquarters and listing | LG Twin Towers, 128 Yeoui-daero, Seoul. Established January 1947; listed on the Korea Stock Exchange in 1969 |
| Item disclosed for the CNT business | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sales and profit | Not disclosed. CNTs sit within "high-performance materials" (HPM) in the petrochemicals division. HPM is about 11-12% of petrochemicals sales (rounded values in the chart, Q2 2025 to Q2 2026), and CNT-only figures are not given |
| Production capacity | Three plants in Yeosu, 2,900 tonnes a year in total and operating (official product page). The company introduction's capacity table as of Q4 2025 says "CNT 3 KTA" (the unit is thousand tonnes a year). The fourth plant (Daesan, 3,200 tonnes a year) is a plan, and its status could not be confirmed |
| Headcount and researchers | Not disclosed (for CNTs) |
| R&D spending and capital investment | CNT-only figures are not disclosed. The investment amount for the new plant could not be confirmed from official documents either |
| Patents | The company says it holds about 300 CNT-related patents (August 2022), more than 300 (May 2023) and more than 550 (July 2024). How patents are counted is not stated |
The company's press releases (August 2022 and May 2023) also give a "global market size and growth rate" for CNT conductive additives (for example, demand rising from 14,000 tonnes in 2022 to 95,000 tonnes by 2030), but no source is given. They could be market-research estimates, and this article does not use them. Also, the petrochemicals division posted an operating loss in 2025 (-KRW 356 billion) and the results do not separate out the profit of HPM, which contains CNTs, so it cannot be confirmed whether the CNT business is in profit or loss Not yet confirmed.
5. Resources committed to nanotechnology
Almost nothing is disclosed on staffing and investment for the CNT business alone. The table covers four points (people, money, external stakes and deals, universities and public funding) and says whether each could be confirmed.
| Item | What was confirmed | Status |
|---|---|---|
| People (R&D sites, headcount) | Headcount working on CNTs is not disclosed. Company-wide: 12,765 in Korea and 4,446 overseas (end of 2025). The company says it began in-house CNT R&D in 2011, built a 20-tonne pilot line in 2013 and started developing battery and conductive-compound products in 2014. In January 2023 it set up a task force to find CNT uses beyond batteries. Manufacturing sites are Yeosu (three operating plants) and Daesan (the planned site of the fourth) | Sourced / not disclosed |
| Money (R&D spending, capital investment) | Company-wide (excluding Energy Solution): R&D of KRW 1,058 billion and capital investment of KRW 2,893 billion in 2025. The 2026 capital investment plan is KRW 1,716 billion (of which Petrochemicals KRW 790 billion). CNT-only R&D and capital spending, and the investment amount for the fourth plant, could not be confirmed | Sourced / not disclosed (individual amounts) |
| Outside stakes, acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures | No stake, acquisition, joint venture or divestiture in CNTs could be confirmed in official documents. LG Energy Solution, named as a main customer, is a separate company consolidated into LG Chem | Not confirmed |
| Universities, research institutes, public funding | Joint research with universities or institutes, and public funding (such as Korean government subsidies), for CNTs could not be confirmed in official documents. The company describes the technology as developed in-house | Not confirmed |
Status of main products and facilities
| Product, facility | Location | Scale | Stage | Date, source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNT Plant 1 | Yeosu | 500 tonnes a year | Operating (since 2017) | Official product page; press releases of August 2022 and May 2023 |
| CNT Plant 2 | Yeosu | 1,200 tonnes a year | Operating (since 2021, according to the August 2022 announcement) | Official product page; press release of August 2022 |
| CNT Plant 3 | Yeosu | 1,200 tonnes a year | Operating (construction began in 2022; full operation announced in May 2023). Plants 1-3 total 2,900 tonnes a year | Official product page; press release of 31 May 2023 |
| CNT Plant 4 | Daesan | 3,200 tonnes a year (plan). With it, the total would be 6,100 tonnes a year | Plan. In August 2022 the plan was construction from the first half of 2023 and operation in the second half of 2024; in May 2023 the company announced construction had begun, with operation in 2025. The capacity table as of Q4 2025 (CNT 3 KTA) does not reflect operation. The present status could not be confirmed. Not yet confirmed | Press releases of 30 August 2022 and 31 May 2023; 2026 company introduction |
The company says each line can produce up to 600 tonnes a year, calling this "the highest single-line capacity in the world." That is the company's claim, and no comparison conditions are given.
6. Track record
| When | What happened | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The company says it began R&D on its own CNT technology | Starting point of in-house development |
| 2013-2014 | Built a 20-tonne pilot line (2013); began developing products for batteries and conductive compounds (2014) | Preparing for commercial use |
| 2017 | Began production at CNT Plant 1 (Yeosu, 500 tonnes a year) | Start of mass production (company statement) |
| 2020-2022 | Says it has built new plants nearly every year. Plant 2 (1,200 tonnes a year) has operated since 2021, and construction of Plant 3 began in early 2022 | Staged capacity additions |
| 30 August 2022 | Announced a fourth plant at Daesan (3,200 tonnes a year), with construction in the first half of 2023 and operation in the second half of 2024 | Plan to roughly double capacity |
| January 2023 | Set up a task force to find CNT uses beyond EV batteries | Diversifying uses |
| 31 May 2023 | Plant 3 reached full operation (2,900 tonnes a year in total). Announced construction of the fourth plant had begun, with operation in 2025. Also announced supply of CNT-containing plastic to Mitsubishi Motors | Moving beyond batteries, and adding capacity |
| July 2024 | An official blog post says three Yeosu plants are operating, construction of the fourth plant at Daesan has begun, and the company holds more than 550 CNT patents | The company's description at that time |
| October 2024 | Korean press reports said construction of the Daesan fourth plant had been paused, with weak EV demand as the reason. This could not be confirmed in LG Chem's official documents | Press report (not treated as fact here) |
| October 2025 | An official blog post says CNTs are supplied stably to major battery makers in Korea and abroad at several thousand tonnes a year; it does not mention the fourth plant. The post says "centred on the Daesan plant," while the official product page lists only the three Yeosu plants as operating, and the two do not match | The company's description |
| 2026 | The capacity table in the company introduction (as of Q4 2025) shows CNTs at 3 KTA. CNTs are introduced as part of petrochemicals' high-performance materials (HPM) | Capacity has not reached the 6,100 tonnes planned in 2023 |
7. Plans
(plan)As of May 2023 the plan was operation in 2025. The current plan could not be confirmed from official documents
(plan)When the fourth plant is complete. Operating capacity today is 2,900 tonnes a year
EMI shielding, coatingsCompany statements. Sales outside batteries are not disclosed
targets foundThe results presentations carry no CNT targets
The company's latest results presentations (Q4 2025 and Q2 2026) contain no mention of CNTs. Its 2026 business plan emphasizes, in petrochemicals, a higher share of high-value-added products and smaller losses, and, in advanced materials, a focus on IT and engineering materials and on materials for e-mobility and semiconductors (Q4 2025 results presentation). No further CNT investment or restart of the fourth plant could be confirmed in official documents, so this article does not treat either as a plan Not yet confirmed.
None of the following appears in primary sources Not yet confirmed.
CNT sales and profit / the present status, investment amount and any revised start-up timing of the fourth plant / headcount for CNTs / numbers such as diameter and metal impurity for the products (data sheets require an inquiry) / performance values in batteries for each grade, with measurement conditions / supply volumes by battery maker / joint research with universities or public bodies / registration status under chemical regulations in each region.
8. What the company is aiming for in nanotechnology
This section includes points the company does not state directly. They are given as inferences readable from the primary sources, with the grounds alongside.
| What can be read | Primary sources behind it | Status |
|---|---|---|
| LG Chem is growing CNTs as a materials business centred on battery materials (conductive additives) | Press releases: supply of conductive additives to battery makers including LG Energy Solution, and the aim to become a top battery-materials company. Product page: two grades for lithium-ion batteries | Sourced (company statement) |
| To avoid depending on batteries alone, it is developing uses outside batteries, such as car parts | The January 2023 task force; conductive plastic at Mitsubishi Motors; EMI shielding for radar at a Korean automaker; conductive coatings, heating materials and semiconductor trays given as examples (August 2022) | Sourced (company statement) |
| The approach to adding capacity may have shifted to staged expansion that follows demand | August 2022 announced operation of the fourth plant in the second half of 2024; May 2023 moved it to 2025. The 2026 capacity table (Q4 2025) still shows 3 KTA. No explanation of a change appears in official documents | Inference |
| CNTs are positioned as one candidate for growth within battery materials, rather than a pillar of company earnings | The petrochemicals division had an operating loss in 2025, and the results presentations do not mention CNTs. An official blog post (October 2025), on the other hand, calls CNTs one of its future growth engines | Inference |
The reason for reading "the approach to expansion may have changed" is a gap between the plan and the capacity table. In August 2022 the company announced operation of the fourth plant for the second half of 2024. In the May 2023 construction announcement, operation slipped to 2025 and total capacity was put at 6,100 tonnes a year. Yet the capacity table in the company introduction published in 2026 (as of Q4 2025) still shows CNTs at 3 KTA, short of 6,100 tonnes. Over the same period the petrochemicals division posted a KRW 356 billion operating loss for 2025, and capital spending appears to be getting tighter (the 2026 petrochemicals capital investment plan of KRW 790 billion is below the KRW 915 billion of 2025). Korean press reports also say construction was paused because of weak EV demand, but these are press reports, and whether LG Chem itself has said so in official documents could not be confirmed. All of this is our reading of combined statements in official documents, and the actual status of the fourth plant cannot be confirmed from official documents Not yet confirmed.
9. Partnership map for nanotechnology
What stands out about LG Chem's relationships is that joint development and equity stakes are almost absent from its documents, and supply is the main thing. The largest battery customer named is LG Energy Solution, in the same group. An official blog post of October 2025 says CNTs go to "major battery makers in Korea and abroad," but names, volumes and contract periods are not public. For Japanese automakers, supply to Mitsubishi Motors (an electrostatically paintable plastic for front fenders) is confirmed in official documents Not yet confirmed.
10. Technologies, products and services
The following draws on LG Chem's official product page, press releases and official blog. Numbers such as particle diameter, metal impurity and in-battery performance do not appear on the public pages (data sheets are available only after an inquiry or download procedure), so none is given here. Values the company states include some for which no conditions are given Sourced.
| Product, use | What the company's documents say (manufacturer's statements) |
|---|---|
| Multi-walled CNT (MWCNT) product line | The product page lists four grades: BT1001M (high conductivity; conductive additive for lithium-ion batteries and others), BT1003M (high dispersion; same), GP1001M (high conductivity; conductive additive for plastics and rubber) and GP1003M (high dispersion; same). It says the company makes MWCNTs only and keeps developing products that maximize dispersion and conductivity |
| Features (product page) | High conductivity at minimal use; high dispersibility; low dust; a highly efficient non-ferrous metal catalyst. Under competitiveness it lists: cobalt-catalyst technology that enables mass production of bundled CNTs with longer residual lengths; supply in a compressed form rather than as powder, easing storage and workplace management; and large-scale production in a single reactor system to minimize quality variation |
| Process (press releases) | Thanks to fluidized-bed reactor technology, each line can produce up to 600 tonnes a year (the company calls this the highest single-line capacity in the world). Its self-developed cobalt-based catalysts are said to lower the magnetic impurities that could harm battery quality |
| Effect as a battery conductive additive (company statement) | Used as a cathode conductive additive, it says CNTs conduct 10% better than carbon black and let the amount of additive fall by about 30%, with the freed space filled by more cathode material for higher capacity and longer life. Measurement conditions and the specification of the carbon black are not stated. In anodes with silicon active material, it says CNTs help keep the conductive network through expansion and contraction |
| Uses outside batteries | Mitsubishi Motors uses a CNT-containing, electrostatically paintable plastic (LUCON TX5007) in the front fenders of three models (May 2023). CNTs also go to a Korean automaker for radar EMI countermeasures. Conductive paint, heating materials (to prevent black ice) and semiconductor trays are given as examples |
(1) Multi-walled, not single-walled, and in "bundles." LG Chem's CNTs are multi-walled, and the company describes them as bundled. Multi-walled CNTs have more walls, so for the same mass they tend to give fewer thin, long strands in the network than single-walled CNTs (our general framing, not a value for any individual product). On the other hand, multi-walled CNTs are comparatively easy to synthesize and suit high-volume methods such as fluidized beds. That the company offers two grade families, "conductivity" and "dispersion," may reflect the general trade-off in CNTs that higher conductivity makes the bundles harder to unravel (inference).
(2) Catalyst: leftover metal is an impurity in a battery. CNTs grow from metal catalysts, so some catalyst metal stays in the product. The company says its in-house cobalt-based catalysts reduce the magnetic impurities that could harm battery quality (actual content not disclosed). The general reasoning is that impurity metals in an electrode can cause side reactions or short circuits (our general framing, not an individual test result for LG Chem's products). The product page's phrase "non-ferrous metal catalyst" reads as aware of this point, but details such as which metals count as non-ferrous are not public (inference).
(3) Fluidized bed: even quality from one large line. In a fluidized-bed reactor, catalyst particles are suspended in a gas stream and CNTs grow on their surfaces; the company says one line can produce up to 600 tonnes a year. The product page cites "large-scale production in a single reactor system to minimize quality variation" as a strength. The idea is that fewer lines mean smaller lot-to-lot differences (the company's statement; no figures on variation are disclosed).
(4) Compressed form: less dust, easier handling. Nanomaterial powders can become airborne, so workplace control is a challenge. The company ships a compressed form rather than powder and lists low dust as a feature. On the battery maker's side, the compressed material has to be unraveled into a dispersion (paste), and how it is unraveled changes the CNT length and so the performance, a general issue for CNTs (our general framing). For background, see this series' explainers on carbon nanotubes and on silicon anodes and nanostructured electrodes.
A limit on use. "10% higher conductivity" and "about 30% less conductive additive" are company statements in 2022-2023 press releases, and no measurement conditions are given. This article does not rank LG Chem against other makers' CNTs or against single-walled CNTs.
11. Risks
| Risk | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Delay or review of capacity additions | The fourth plant's start-up slipped from the second half of 2024 to 2025 and is not reflected in the Q4 2025 capacity table (3 KTA). Its present status cannot be confirmed from official documents | Sourced / Not yet confirmed |
| Dependence on EV demand | The main use of CNTs is as a battery conductive additive, so volumes follow battery output. The company says the North American end market for battery materials is sluggish (in its advanced materials commentary). It gives no outlook for CNT demand itself | Sourced (company statement) / Inference |
| Hard-to-see profitability | CNTs are within petrochemicals' HPM and their profit is not separated. Petrochemicals had an operating loss in 2025, and the company as a whole had a net loss for 2025 (-KRW 977 billion). How much room or priority CNT investment has cannot be read from official documents | Sourced / Not yet confirmed |
| Dependence on particular customers | The largest named battery customer is LG Energy Solution, in the same group. Other battery makers are unnamed, and the breakdown of volumes is unknown | Sourced / Inference |
| Competition and technology change | Other companies' materials show a move toward single-walled CNTs as battery conductive additives. LG Chem makes multi-walled CNTs only. Which is better depends on battery design and conditions, so this article does not rank them | Sourced / Inference |
| Unclear conditions behind claims | The 10% conductivity gain, the 30% reduction in additive, the world's largest single-line capacity and the more than 550 patents are all company statements whose conditions and definitions are not public | Sourced (company statement) |
| Regulation and safety status | How CNTs are handled depends on chemical regulations by region and on trends in definitions of nanomaterials. LG Chem's registration or notification status for its CNTs in each region could not be confirmed from official documents. "Nano" does not make a material safe or unsafe as a general rule (see this series' explainer on definition and regulation of nanomaterials) | Not yet confirmed |
12. Glossary
- Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)
- A CNT made of several concentric carbon tubes. Easier to synthesize than single-walled CNTs, with established high-volume production methods.
- Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)
- A CNT with one carbon tube. Its diameter is thinner, and it is said to form a conductive network easily at small amounts. LG Chem does not make it.
- Conductive additive
- An additive that builds electrical pathways between active materials inside a battery electrode. Carbon black has mainly been used.
- Cathode and anode
- The two electrodes of a battery. In a lithium-ion battery, on discharge the cathode takes in lithium ions and the anode releases them.
- Silicon-based anode
- An anode that uses silicon as the active material to raise capacity. It swells and shrinks a lot when charged and discharged, so keeping the conductive network is a challenge.
- Fluidized-bed reactor
- A device in which solid particles are suspended by a gas stream while they react. Suited to high-volume production.
- Bundled (bundle-type) CNTs
- CNTs gathered into bundles. Hard to unravel, but easier to make.
- High-performance materials (HPM)
- A grouping inside LG Chem's petrochemicals division that includes synthetic rubber, NBL, MBS, SBS, aerogel, CNTs and binders.
- KTA
- Thousand tonnes a year, the unit in the company introduction's capacity table. 3 KTA is around 3,000 tonnes a year.
- EMI shielding
- Preventing electromagnetic waves from interfering with equipment, by absorbing or reflecting them with a conductive material.
- Manufacturer's stated value
- A performance value given by the manufacturer itself. It cannot be compared with another product's unless the method, sample and conditions are the same.
13. References
- LG Chem CNT (official product page, HPM division). MWCNTs only, four grades, features, competitiveness, three Yeosu plants (500, 1,200 and 1,200 tonnes; 2,900 tonnes a year in total). https://www.lgchem.com/product-detail/cnt?lang=en_US
- LG Chem / LG LG Chem To Build Fourth Carbon Nanotube Plant (30 August 2022, posted on the LG Group site). The fourth-plant plan, fluidized-bed reactor, cobalt-based catalysts, effect as a conductive additive, about 300 patents. https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/25247
- LG Chem / LG LG Chem To Speed Up Expanding in Global Carbon Nanotube Market (31 May 2023, posted on the LG Group site). Start of fourth-plant construction, 6,100 tonnes a year in total, supply to Mitsubishi Motors, more than 300 patents. https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/26344
- LG Chem Official blog post (June 2023). The January 2023 CNT task force, Mitsubishi Motors, EMI countermeasures for a Korean automaker's radar. https://blog.lgchem.com/en/?p=45350
- LG Chem FOCUS ON: CNT (Carbon Nanotube) (official blog, 19 July 2024). Three plants operating, fourth plant under construction, more than 550 patents, supply to LG Energy Solution, role in silicon anodes. https://blog.lgchem.com/en/2024/07/19_focuson_cnt/
- LG Chem Material Racing Toward the Future: CNT (Carbon Nanotube) (official blog, 17 October 2025). Supply to major battery makers in Korea and abroad; described as one of the future growth engines. https://blog.lgchem.com/en/2025/10/17_cnt/
- LG Chem 2026 Introduction of LG Chem (company introduction). History (listed 1969), production-capacity table (as of Q4 2025, CNT 3 KTA), description of HPM (CNTs used in batteries). https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/introduce/2026_Introduction_of_LGChem_EN[5].pdf
- LG Chem 4Q 2025 Earnings Release (29 January 2026). 2025 consolidated sales, operating profit and net result, sales and operating profit by division, 2026 business plan. https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/ir-events/4Q_2025_Earnings_Release_ENG.pdf
- LG Chem 2Q 2026 Earnings Release. Petrochemicals sales mix (HPM share), capital investment and R&D (2025 actuals and 2026 plan). https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/ir-events/2Q_2026_earnings_release_ENG.pdf
- LG Chem LG Chem Sustainability Report 2025 (published June 2026). Company name, founding, employees (12,765 in Korea and 4,446 overseas), headquarters address. https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/sustainability-reports/LGChem_Sustainability_Report_2025_ENG.pdf
- LG Chem Company website (source of the logo image). https://www.lgchem.com/
14. Claim-to-source audit
| Claim in the text | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| LG Chem makes multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) only and no single-walled CNTs; four grades (BT1001M, BT1003M, GP1001M, GP1003M); product features (conductivity, dispersibility, low dust, non-ferrous metal catalyst); cobalt catalyst; supply in a compressed form; quality stability from a single reactor | Sourced (company statement) | Reference 1 https://www.lgchem.com/product-detail/cnt?lang=en_US |
| Three Yeosu plants (500, 1,200 and 1,200 tonnes), 2,900 tonnes a year in total and operating | Sourced | References 1 & 5 https://www.lgchem.com/product-detail/cnt?lang=en_US https://blog.lgchem.com/en/2024/07/19_focuson_cnt/ |
| The company introduction's capacity table as of Q4 2025 showing CNTs at 3 KTA; its description of CNTs as part of HPM used in batteries | Sourced | Reference 7 https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/introduce/2026_Introduction_of_LGChem_EN[5].pdf |
| The fourth-plant (Daesan, 3,200 tonnes a year) plans: August 2022 (construction from the first half of 2023, operation in the second half of 2024) and May 2023 (construction begun, operation in 2025), 6,100 tonnes a year in total | Sourced (company statement) | References 2 & 3 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/25247 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/26344 |
| Fluidized-bed reactor technology, up to 600 tonnes a year per line, the statement that this is the highest single-line capacity in the world, in-house cobalt-based catalysts lowering magnetic impurities | Sourced (company statement) | References 2 & 3 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/25247 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/26344 |
| The statements that CNTs conduct 10% better than carbon black and let additive fall by about 30%; supply to LG Energy Solution; CNT-containing plastic for Mitsubishi Motors' front fenders; supply to a Korean automaker (radar EMI) | Sourced (company statement) | References 2 & 3 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/25247 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/26344 |
| In-house CNT R&D from 2011, a 20-tonne pilot line in 2013, product development for batteries and conductive compounds from 2014, production at CNT Plant 1 (500 tonnes) from 2017, new plants nearly every year since 2020 | Sourced (company statement) | References 2 & 3 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/25247 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/26344 |
| Number of CNT-related patents (about 300 in August 2022, more than 300 in May 2023, more than 550 in July 2024) | Sourced (company statement) | References 2 & 3 & 5 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/25247 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/26344 https://blog.lgchem.com/en/2024/07/19_focuson_cnt/ |
| The January 2023 task force; the explanations of supply to Mitsubishi Motors and a Korean automaker; conductive paint, heating materials and semiconductor trays given as examples | Sourced (company statement) | References 4 & 2 https://blog.lgchem.com/en/?p=45350 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/25247 |
| The July 2024 description (three Yeosu plants operating, fourth plant under construction); the role of CNTs in keeping the conductive network in silicon anodes | Sourced (company statement) | Reference 5 https://blog.lgchem.com/en/2024/07/19_focuson_cnt/ |
| The October 2025 blog statements (several thousand tonnes a year to major battery makers in Korea and abroad; one of the future growth engines; a description centred on the Daesan plant) | Sourced (company statement) | Reference 6 https://blog.lgchem.com/en/2025/10/17_cnt/ |
| 2025 consolidated sales of KRW 45.9 trillion (KRW 48.7 trillion the year before), operating profit of KRW 1,181 billion, net result of -KRW 977 billion, sales and operating profit by division, the 2026 petrochemicals and advanced materials plans, the statement that the North American end market for battery materials is sluggish | Sourced | Reference 8 https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/ir-events/4Q_2025_Earnings_Release_ENG.pdf |
| HPM's share of petrochemicals sales (about 11-12%, rounded chart values); 2025 capital investment of KRW 2,893 billion and R&D of KRW 1,058 billion (excluding Energy Solution); the 2026 capital investment plan | Sourced | Reference 9 https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/ir-events/2Q_2026_earnings_release_ENG.pdf |
| Company name, January 1947 founding, employees (12,765 in Korea and 4,446 overseas at the end of 2025), headquarters address (LG Twin Towers, Seoul), listing in 1969 | Sourced | References 10 & 7 https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/sustainability-reports/LGChem_Sustainability_Report_2025_ENG.pdf https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/introduce/2026_Introduction_of_LGChem_EN[5].pdf |
| The logo image is the corporate logo published in the header of the company website | Sourced | Reference 11 https://www.lgchem.com/ |
| CNT sales and profit; the fourth plant's present status and investment amount; CNT-only headcount, R&D and capital spending; stakes, acquisitions and joint ventures; ties with universities and public bodies; data-sheet numbers; in-battery performance of each grade; registration status under chemical regulations | Not yet confirmed (could not be confirmed) | References 7 & 8 https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/introduce/2026_Introduction_of_LGChem_EN[5].pdf https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/ir-events/4Q_2025_Earnings_Release_ENG.pdf |
| Readings that the approach to adding capacity may have shifted, that CNTs are one growth candidate rather than an earnings pillar, that the two grade families reflect the conductivity-versus-dispersion trade-off, and the intent behind "non-ferrous metal catalyst"; the organization of the customer, competition and EV-demand risks | Inference | References 3 & 7 & 8 & 1 https://www.lgcorp.com/media/release/26344 https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/introduce/2026_Introduction_of_LGChem_EN[5].pdf https://www.lgchem.com/upload/file/ir-events/4Q_2025_Earnings_Release_ENG.pdf https://www.lgchem.com/product-detail/cnt?lang=en_US |
| Classifying LG Chem as a nanomaterial producer, and the four-type framework | Our calculation | Our own organization and calculation (technical explanations are general commentary, not values for the company's individual products; see the series' explainers) |
| Technical explanations of bundles, catalyst, fluidized beds and compressed form for multi-walled CNTs (general commentary) | Our calculation | Our own organization and calculation (technical explanations are general commentary, not values for the company's individual products; see the series' explainers) |
Last updated: 9 October 2026 / Troy Technical
This article is based on LG Chem's official press releases, product page, official blog posts, company introduction, results presentations and Sustainability Report. It uses no market-research estimates or press-based figures (the global market sizes and growth rates in the press releases give no source and are not used; Korean press reports of a pause in the fourth plant are not treated as fact). Items marked "Inference" are our reading of the primary sources and are not company disclosures. Product features and effects are the company's own statements, including some without stated measurement conditions. Company plans and targets are not yet confirmed and are no guarantee of outcomes. This article does not advise individual readers on handling or safety of materials, or on investment.