Korea Zinc said on the 4th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Taesung and Neobatterymaterials Korea to develop high-performance battery technology equipped with composite copper foil for drones and robots.
Composite copper foil uses less copper than conventional copper foil made only of copper. Because its core is made of polymer material, it is highly cost-competitive.
It is also relatively lightweight yet has high density, and it is superior in terms of safety. It also has properties that mitigate the drawbacks of silicon anode material—which outperforms conventional graphite anode material but has disadvantages such as swelling during charging and reduced conductivity.
Composite copper foil with these characteristics is considered suitable for small mobility products such as drones and Humanoid Robot. To speed commercialization, securing stable Production yield and establishing a mass-production system are essential. This is why Korea Zinc signed an MOU with Taesung and Neobatterymaterials Korea, which have technology and expertise in the field.
The three companies will jointly conduct the entire cycle from composite copper foil material development to manufacturing, feasibility verification, and demonstration. Specifically, they will sequentially pursue: ▲ optimization and verification of composite copper foil material performance ▲ performance evaluation and process optimization of battery cells and stacks equipped with composite copper foil ▲ manufacturing of small battery prototypes ▲ manufacturing and demonstration evaluation of small mobility prototypes such as drones and robots.
Among these tasks, Korea Zinc and Taesung will handle composite copper foil material development and performance evaluation, while Neobatterymaterials Korea will be responsible for performance evaluation of battery cells equipped with composite copper foil. Korea Zinc and Neobatterymaterials Korea will take charge of manufacturing and performance evaluation of small battery and drone and robot prototypes. The final report will be prepared jointly by the three companies.
Korea Zinc directly produces copper, an essential material for copper foil, and has copper foil manufacturing technology and equipment. A strength is that it can use drones and robots in actual industrial settings and serve as a test bed. Taesung developed composite copper foil plating equipment with its own technology.
Neobatterymaterials Korea, the Korean subsidiary of Canadian silicon anode developer Neobatterymaterials, has recently expanded its business scope into battery cell manufacturing, enabling collaboration.
Through this collaboration, the three companies expect to secure capabilities to preempt the high-growth composite copper foil market. According to Wise Guy Reports (WISEGUYREPORTS), the global composite copper foil market is forecast to grow about 1.5 times from $6.88 billion in 2023 to $10.18 billion in 2032.
A Korea Zinc official said, "By the end of this year, we will produce small mobility prototypes such as drones equipped with composite copper foil and move into demonstration," adding, "It is significant in that we are proactively securing technological capabilities to diversify our battery material portfolio and respond to market changes."