As the eco-friendly energy market continues to grow, demand for efficient thermal management and high-performance insulation materials is higher than ever. At the center of this shift is aerogel, an ultra-lightweight material known for its insulation performance.

In 2023, LG Chem established a dedicated aerogel production plant in Dangjin, South Korea, completing an integrated value chain from R&D to mass production.

In this interview, we meet four leaders who connect Business, R&D, Production, and Quality across the aerogel value chain. They share insights into the current state and future vision of aerogel business, as well as the source of its technical competitiveness.

Q1. Hello! Please introduce yourself.

Chang Youngjoo : Hello. I am Chang YoungJoo, leading the Aerogel Business Team and overseeing the overall aerogel business. Our team drives customer development, new market exploration and order expansion. We also identify and manage external processing partners responsible for packaging and converting aerogel into forms that can be directly applied at customer sites, serving as a bridge between market needs and our internal R&D and production teams.

Oh Kyoungshil : I am Oh KyoungShil, responsible for aerogel development. I oversee overall technology development, from product design and process development to securing product performance.. Based on supercritical drying technology, we focus on maximizing  insulation performance and structural stability while implementing product specifications that meet customer specifications.

Park Sangwoo : I am Park Sangwoo, leading aerogel production at the Dangjin plant. I am responsible for stabilizing mass production and maintaining consistent yield and quality.

Park Jonggeol : I am Park Jonggeol, responsible for quality assurance of aerogel products manufactured in Dangjin. I establish quality management systems aligned with customer specifications and monitor potential risks throughout the production process.

Q2. For those unfamiliar, what exactly is aerogel?

Chang Youngjoo : Aerogel is one of the lightest solid materials, with more than 95% of its structure composed of pores.  Its nanoscale pore structure restricts the movement of air molecules, significantly reducing heat transfer. It delivers outstanding insulation performance even in environments exceeding 1,000°C, making it suitable for industrial sites where thermal management is critical.

Q3. What is the key competitive advantage of LG Chem’s aerogel?

The key factor that determines aerogel quality is the ability to implement a small and uniform pore structure. LG Chem has independently developed both pore structure control technology and supercritical drying technology to achieve this.

Aerogel is a material whose quality can vary significantly depending on the manufacturing method. LG Chem’s competitiveness lies in its supercritical drying technology, which is built upon precise pore structure control. By applying the supercritical drying process,  the collapse of the aerogel’s delicate nanoscale structure during drying can be effectively prevented. As a result, we are able to consistently produce high-quality aerogel that maintains stable insulation performance while minimizing variation in physical properties.

Another key differentiating factor is low-dust technology. Due to its structural characteristics, aerogel can easily generate dust during processing. Through proprietary structure and process control, we have minimized dust generation. This contributes to enhanced workability, safety and cleanliness at customer sites.

In addition, LG Chem designs and carries out die-cutting and packaging processes in-house so that customers can directly integrate the product to their systems. Rather than supplying only raw materials, we provide processed components tailored to the structures of batteries, ESS and other energy facilities, thereby enhancing applicability and assembly efficiency.

Q4. How does quality management for aerogel differ from standard petrochemical products?

Park Jonggeol : Most petrochemical products are supplied by weight. Aerogel, however, is supplied as processed components designed to fit specific equipment structures and dimensions. This required us to establish a different quality management and inspection system. Through collaboration across Business, Development and Production, we established a framework that ensures each component consistently meets customer specifications.

Q5. How is market demand evolving?

As the eco-friendly energy market continues to grow, interest in high-performance insulation materials that can secure both battery safety and thermal management efficiency is increasing. Demand for aerogel is expanding across LNG, hydrogen and EV and ESS battery applications.

Battery manufacturers and automotive OEMs consider preventing thermal propagation during EV and ESS fire incidents an important safety requirement. In this context, aerogel’s heat-blocking performance supports strengthened safety standards. Although the EV market is experiencing a temporary slowdown often described as a “chasm,” safety standards for next-generation battery models continue to become more stringent. As a result, demand for high-performance insulation materials is expected to remain resilient.

As fire safety standards are being reinforced globally, aerogel is gaining recognition not only as an insulation material but also as a high-performance fire-resistant solution.

Q6. What were the key challenges in building this value chain?

Park Sangwoo : In the early stages, most standards and procedures were not yet fully established. The Development, Business, Production and Quality teams met almost daily to review process conditions one by one, reset internal criteria and redefine the overall process to reflect customer requirements.

Production focused on stabilizing operations and improving yield, Development ensured product reliability through performance validation and Quality established management systems aligned with customer standards. The Business team coordinated overall schedules and customer communication, enabling all four organizations to move in alignment. As a result, yield stabilized quickly and performance  was elevated to fully meet customer requirements. Obtaining PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) certification —one of the major initial hurdles—was a significant milestone. It marked the point at which the entire team gained confidence that we were building a new business together.

Overcoming these first-time challenges collaboratively became an important foundation for the aerogel business.

*PPAP (Production Part Approval Process): A formal procedure that verifies whether product performance and manufacturing processes meet customer standards.

Q7. What are your goals for the future?

Chang Youngjoo : Aerogel is expected to expand beyond insulation into broader applications that require non-combustibility, high heat resistance and lightweight properties, including data centers, semiconductor facilities, and hydrogen infrastructure.

LG Chem will continue strengthening customer collaboration and expanding its product portfolio. Through close cooperation across the value chain, we will further enhance the competitiveness of the aerogel business on a stable technological foundation.

Through this interview, we met four leaders who connect Business, R&D, Production and Quality into a single value chain within the aerogel business. From their respective roles, they have bridged technology and real-world applications, offering insight into how the aerogel business has evolved and grown.

Pore structure control technology, supercritical drying technology, low-dust technology and processing capabilities designed with on-site application in mind are key elements of LG Chem’s aerogel competitiveness. This technological foundation enables the material to simultaneously meet safety and applicability requirements demanded in industrial environments. LG Chem will continue contributing to strengthened safety standards and improved efficiency across the energy industry.