LG expands advanced antimicrobial materials production in Vietnam

LG Electronics has established two advanced materials production lines in Vietnam and expanded its global manufacturing capacity to 6,500 tons annually, the company said Thursday.

The move is part of efforts to meet rising demand for antimicrobial and antifungal products and coating materials as the hygiene market continues to grow.

The new production lines make LG PuroTec and Easy-Clean enamel at its manufacturing facility in Haiphong, Vietnam. Both are glass powder-based functional materials.

The Haiphong plant has an annual production capacity of about 2,000 tons. Combined with the company's existing 4,500-ton capacity at the LG Smart Park in Korea, LG is now capable of producing 6,500 tons a year. 

The company aims to respond more flexibly to customer demand and improve delivery competitiveness through its dual-plant system.

LG Electronics said demand for antimicrobial and other functional materials has been rising rapidly as hygiene and safety standards become more stringent across industries.

The global antimicrobial additives market is projected to grow from $3.66 billion in 2024 to $7.29 billion by 2032, according to market research firm Data Bridge Market Research. 

The Haiphong plant will serve as a key production base supplying customers in North America, Europe and China, as well as emerging markets including India and Southeast Asia.

LG PuroTec is a functional material that can be added in small amounts to plastics, paints and rubber to suppress the growth of bacteria and mold. Its applications have expanded to construction materials, medical devices and food packaging.

Easy-Clean enamel is a coating material that forms a glass-ceramic layer on metal surfaces. When applied to the interiors of microwave ovens and ovens, it makes stains easier to remove while improving durability.

LG Electronics is also investing in manufacturing competency. The Haiphong production line automates about 80 percent of the entire process — from raw material input to melting, cooling, grinding, packaging and shipment.

The company said its technologies that reduce erosion of the furnace’s refractory lining and enable precise temperature control inside the furnace helped improve product consistency.

Revenue from LG Electronics' advanced materials business has more than doubled every year since the company began full-scale operations in 2023.

LG has been researching glass powder technologies since 1996 and has secured about 420 patents related to functional materials. It also completed regulatory registrations for antimicrobial additives in the United States and Europe last year.

"Building on our production infrastructure and quality competitiveness, we will continue expanding solutions for client-tailored materials and broaden global business opportunities," Kim Young-seok, director of the functional materials business under LG Electronics' Home Appliance Solution division, said.

BY PARK YOUNG-WOO [[email protected]]