LG Electronics is actively targeting the Asian B2B market, focusing on its new antibacterial functional material, PuroTec™. This strategy aims to expand application industries based on emerging manufacturing hubs, while simultaneously expanding production and technological capabilities to meet growing global demand.

LG Electronics participated for the first time at PLASTINDIA, India's largest industrial materials exhibition, held in New Delhi from the 5th to the 10th of this month, showcasing its Purotech technology and application examples. Approximately 3,200 companies from 80 countries participated in the exhibition.

Participating in this exhibition is a move to secure new B2B customers and expand business opportunities in the Asian market, focusing on India, which has emerged as a global manufacturing hub. LG Electronics broadened its reach with local customers by introducing solutions applicable to a wide range of industries, including home appliances, building materials, hygiene products, food packaging, and medical devices.

Purotech is a functional material in the form of glass powder that, when added in small amounts to materials such as plastic, paint, and rubber, provides antibacterial and antifungal properties that suppress odors and contamination caused by microorganisms. The exhibition hall showcased home appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, and water purifiers, along with examples of applications in the hygiene, packaging, and medical fields.

On the production side, investments are also being made to strengthen supply responsiveness. LG Electronics currently operates a glass powder production facility with an annual capacity of 4,500 tons at the Changwon Smart Park in South Gyeongsang Province and plans to establish a second production base in Hai Phong, Vietnam, this year, with operations scheduled for the end of the year. The company explains that the production expansion is necessary due to the growing demand for functional glass powder. Indeed, related sales have more than doubled annually since 2023.

Research and development to strengthen technological competitiveness is also ongoing. LG Electronics has completed regulatory registration for antimicrobial agents to enter the European and US markets, and has proven their safety by meeting rigorous hazard assessment standards. Furthermore, last year, it signed a business agreement with SGS Korea, an international testing and certification agency, and is currently developing international certification to certify Purotech's antimicrobial performance.

Since first applying functional glass powder to its ovens in North America in 2013, LG Electronics has filed a cumulative 420 patents. Currently, the company is expanding its application beyond Purotech to include "Marine Glass," which helps restore marine ecosystems, and "Mineral Wash," which enables washing without surfactants.

Kim Young-seok, head of LG Electronics' HS Functional Materials Business Division, said the company plans to continue expanding its functional materials business to meet the needs of B2B customers based on its accumulated technological capabilities.