Inoplaztech plans to expand its annual production capacity for carbon nanotube (CNT) conductive additives to 100 tons. Conventional CNT additives in liquid dispersion form are difficult to use in dry electrode manufacturing, which does not use solvents. Inoplaztech aims to target the dry electrode market by using its proprietary plasma technology to disperse CNTs in powder form.

Inoplaztech CEO Lee Deok-yeon unveiled the company’s CNT conductive additive mass-production plan at the K-Battery Show 2026 Materials, Parts and Equipment Conference held Sept. 9 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. Starting next year, the company plans to expand production facilities over three years to secure annual capacity of 100 tons. It plans to finance the investment through fundraising and programs including Scale-up TIPS, which supports the growth of small and medium-sized ventures.

CNTs are carbon materials used as conductive additives to improve electrical conductivity inside batteries. They can provide high conductivity in small amounts but tend to agglomerate, making them difficult to use as-is. A dispersion process is needed to separate CNT agglomerates and distribute them evenly throughout battery materials.

CNT conductive additives are currently produced mainly through a wet process in which CNTs are dispersed in a solvent using mechanical force. Dispersants are also used to prevent reagglomeration. The process can damage CNTs or leave residual dispersants that reduce conductivity. CNTs can also agglomerate again after the solvent is removed.

Inoplaztech disperses CNTs using plasma without solvents or dispersants. The process separates CNT agglomerates while treating their surfaces to suppress reagglomeration. Because the CNTs can be used as a powder rather than a liquid dispersion, they can be applied to dry electrode manufacturing.

Inoplaztech has been validating the applicability of its dry-dispersed CNTs with battery companies and others. It will now shift its focus from technology validation to securing mass-production capacity. The company expects annual sales of 20 billion to 30 billion won from its CNT conductive additive business once it reaches annual production capacity of 100 tons.

The company is also commercializing technology to improve CNT conductivity. The process uses plasma to attach nitrogen to the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), increasing their conductivity. Inoplaztech plans to begin selling nitrogen-functionalized MWCNTs as reagents by the end of this year. Such products remain relatively uncommon, with only three to four suppliers worldwide.

The goal is to improve the performance of relatively inexpensive MWCNTs so they can partially replace more expensive single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). “Our long-term goal is to provide SWCNT-level performance at MWCNT prices,” Lee said.

Inoplaztech is also applying its plasma technology to other nanopowders. Nanopowder coating is a potential next business. As battery materials such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP) become finer, technologies capable of uniformly coating even small particles are increasingly needed. The company is considering plasma-based surface coating of fine powders as its next business area.

The dry plasma technology can also be applied outside batteries. Potential applications include polyethylene (PE) for battery separators, alumina fillers used in semiconductor thermal management materials and CNT composites for electric-vehicle tires. The underlying principle is the same: modifying surface properties so different materials can be mixed more effectively.

Inoplaztech is a nanomaterials company founded in 2018 as a startup by researchers from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). It has developed plasma technology that disperses aggregation-prone nanomaterials such as CNTs and graphene without solvents.

Battery diagnostics company MONA is developing an artificial intelligence foundation model using data from 10 million battery cells. The goal is to create a universal model that can apply diagnostic capabilities learned from one type of battery to different batteries. The company also plans to expand diagnostics to electric vehicles, energy storage systems (ESS) and second-life batteries.

"We plan to secure data from 10 million battery cells and develop a universal diagnostic model that can be applied across different batteries," MONA CEO Jang Ikhwang said at the K-Battery Show 2026 Materials, Parts and Equipment Conference held Sept. 9 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. MONA has so far collected data from about 8 million battery cells and 1,000 battery packs.

Current battery diagnostic AI models struggle to maintain accuracy when applied to batteries different from those used for training. Materials, designs and production conditions vary by battery, meaning the same abnormality can appear differently in measurement data. MONA is training on large datasets collected from various batteries to develop a universal model capable of determining quality and detecting abnormalities across different products.

MONA's ability to collect large datasets is based on battery diagnostic technology using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). EIS applies alternating-current signals to a battery and measures how impedance changes at different frequencies.

The technology can identify latent internal cell defects and quality variations that are difficult to detect through conventional voltage and visual inspections. Even when a battery has normal voltage at shipment, quality problems can emerge during transportation and storage due to differences in factors such as self-discharge.

Applying EIS to mass-production lines requires faster inspection because directly measuring multiple frequency ranges takes time. MONA developed a high-speed diagnostic technology that measures only part of the frequency range and uses generative AI to reconstruct the remaining impedance data. The company has reduced inspection time to about one second per cell, allowing it to accumulate large datasets on mass-production lines.

Fast measurement alone is not enough for accurate quality assessment. Impedance is sensitive to temperature, meaning readings from the same battery can vary depending on the measurement environment. MONA corrects variations caused by temperature and equipment conditions and establishes a normal range based on the statistical distribution of accumulated data. Batteries outside that range are automatically flagged as potential defects.

MONA has also confirmed correlations between its data and actual defects. The company identified batteries in accumulated incoming-inspection data whose internal resistance and charge-transfer characteristics fell outside the normal distribution. Computed tomography (CT) and cross-sectional analysis subsequently found physical defects, including uneven electrode thickness. The abnormalities detected solely from impedance data matched physical defects inside the cells.

MONA is extending data collected from mass-production sites beyond the manufacturing stage. It is expanding the technology to diagnose batteries installed in EVs and determine whether used batteries recovered from vehicles can be reused. The company can collect data throughout the battery lifecycle, from incoming inspection of cells, modules and packs to EV diagnostics and second-life battery reuse.

MONA is also testing the feasibility of using second-life batteries in ESS applications. The company is conducting pilot tests of ESS systems incorporating used battery modules and packs. It is also developing diagnostic solutions for next-generation batteries, including all-solid-state batteries and batteries using silicon anodes.

Battery thermal runaway can generate flames exceeding 1,200°C as well as pressurized debris. LG Chem has developed an engineering plastic called Super Flame Barrier (SFB) that withstands such extreme conditions to prevent battery fires from escalating into larger accidents.

Hyun Sung-jae, a team leader at LG Chem, presented SFB and other materials designed to prevent battery thermal runaway propagation, along with the company’s development results, at the K-Battery Show 2026 Materials, Parts and Equipment Conference held Sept. 9 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province.

Battery thermal runaway is particularly dangerous because it may not remain confined to a single cell. When a cell is damaged or develops an internal short circuit, its temperature and pressure rise rapidly. If the resulting heat raises the temperature of adjacent cells, it can trigger further thermal runaway in a chain reaction. A problem originating in a single cell can ultimately escalate into a fire or explosion involving the entire battery pack.

Preventing cascading thermal runaway requires blocking the transfer of flames and heat between cells. Inorganic materials such as ceramics, mica and aerogel are commonly used for this purpose. LG Chem instead turned to plastics. Engineering plastics can be injection-molded, making them easier to use in complex-shaped battery components. LG Chem added resistance to high-temperature flames while retaining that processability.

LG Chem developed a material called Flame Barrier for this purpose. When exposed to flames, the plastic forms multiple carbonized layers on its surface to prevent heat and flames from penetrating. In LG Chem tests that exposed 1-millimeter-thick samples to a 1,000°C flame, conventional flame-retardant plastics developed holes or melted within eight to 109 seconds. Flame Barrier maintained its shape for more than 600 seconds. The material has been used in electric-vehicle batteries from a European automaker and a global battery manufacturer and is also being supplied for energy storage systems (ESS).

LG Chem subsequently developed SFB with further improved heat resistance. SFB has also been spec-in approved by a global automaker and has entered the commercialization stage. The company unveiled SFB at InterBattery 2026 in March. The technology won an InterBattery Award in the Reliability, Safety and Sustainability category.

The key to SFB is a protective barrier that remains intact at temperatures exceeding 1,200°C. When exposed to flames, special flame retardants and inorganic materials form an aluminum phosphate-based ceramic layer. While the existing Flame Barrier slows flame penetration through carbonized layers, SFB uses a rigid ceramic layer to withstand both high-temperature flames and pressure. The barrier can also remain intact against debris generated during thermal runaway.

LG Chem also verified SFB’s performance in tests simulating actual thermal runaway conditions. In repeated tests involving high-temperature flames and high-pressure particles, SFB withstood temperatures of 1,050°C to 1,200°C more than 12 times. It showed no holes or melting after the tests.

In tests using actual cylindrical battery cells, flames did not spread to surrounding cells even when the center cell was made to explode. A tray using SFB also showed no deformation. LG Chem has expanded the SFB product lineup for use in module covers and housings, battery cell frames and busbar components.

“It is important to delay the propagation of thermal runaway to surrounding cells when a battery fire occurs,” Hyun said. “We will continue developing engineering plastic materials that can be applied to battery components.”

iQOO has revealed more details about its upcoming iQOO Pad Ultra, giving users a closer look at the tablet’s cooling system and gaming-focused accessories. The new compact tablet is expected to target users who want stronger performance in a smaller form factor.

According to the latest official teaser, the iQOO Pad Ultra will feature a built-in cooling fan designed to help manage heat during demanding workloads and extended gaming sessions. The fan measures just 30 × 30 × 3.5mm, while the cooling area reaches 1,661mm². It can spin at up to 14,500rpm and deliver a maximum airflow of 0.94 CFM.

iQOO Pad Ultra Gets Dedicated Gaming Accessories

iQOO is also preparing two gaming accessories for the Pad Ultra: a telescopic game controller and a rear grip attachment.

The telescopic controller is designed to turn the compact tablet into a more console-like gaming setup. It features a dedicated USB-C port, micro-switch buttons and Hall-effect joysticks, which should provide more precise control and a more responsive feel during gameplay.

The rear grip takes a different approach. Rather than adding traditional controls, it is designed to improve the way users hold the tablet. This could make longer gaming sessions more comfortable by providing additional support for the hands.

8.8-Inch OLED Display and High-End Hardware

iQOO has already confirmed that the device will officially carry the iQOO Pad Ultra name. The company is expected to launch it alongside the iQOO 16 series toward the end of September.

Previous reports suggest that the tablet could feature an 8.8-inch OLED display with a centered punch-hole camera and four narrow bezels. Its rear design is also expected to include a square-shaped camera module and an integrated air outlet for the internal cooling system.

The tablet is rumored to use a 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen6 processor, positioning it as a high-performance compact tablet aimed at demanding users and mobile gamers. It may also pack a 9,000mAh-class battery, offering a relatively large capacity for an 8.8-inch device.

The reported color options include Endless Black and Star Armor Silver.

A Compact Tablet Designed for Gaming

With an active cooling fan, high-end hardware and dedicated gaming accessories, the iQOO Pad Ultra appears to be taking a different approach from conventional small tablets. Instead of focusing solely on portability, iQOO seems to be building the device around sustained performance and gaming.

More official details, including the final specifications, pricing and availability, should become clearer when iQOO officially introduces the Pad Ultra later this month.

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Duksan Electera has begun supplying battery electrolytes to the largest electric vehicle maker in North America. The company has secured seven customers in the region and expects the number to increase to nine next year.

Duksan Electera said Sept. 8 that it has been commercially supplying electrolytes to the North American EV maker since July. The customer is the largest EV manufacturer in North America.

Duksan Electera began shipments after several years of quality verification and mass-production approval procedures. Electrolytes are key battery materials that affect battery life, power output and safety.

The company has secured a total of seven electrolyte customers in North America. They include South Korean battery makers, overseas cell manufacturers, joint ventures (JVs) between automakers and battery companies, and automakers. Duksan Electera has also secured two of South Korea's three major battery makers with large-scale production bases in North America as customers. It is already supplying some customers and plans to begin shipments to the remaining customers within this year.

Duksan Electera is also undergoing quality approval procedures with additional customers. The company expects the number of customers it supplies to increase to nine in 2027 once the procedures are completed.

The company will also leverage the supply chain it has established with parent company Duksan Techopia. Duksan Techopia produces additives for battery electrolytes, while Duksan Electera supplies electrolytes. Duksan Techopia produces additives that can comply with US Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) restrictions. Duksan Electera has also established electrolyte production bases in South Korea and North America.

Its financial performance is growing as it expands supplies in North America. Duksan Electera began mass production in July last year and posted annual revenue of 5.9 billion won. Revenue reached 17.3 billion won in the first half of this year, about three times its full-year revenue last year.

Duksan Electera is also pursuing a listing on South Korea's Kosdaq market. Parent company Duksan Techopia disclosed on Sept. 7 an assessment of the listing's impact on shareholders and measures to protect shareholders.

The company plans to apply for preliminary listing approval from the Korea Exchange after gathering shareholder opinions and obtaining approval at a general shareholders' meeting. Proceeds from the listing will be used for investment in North American production facilities and working capital.

Earlier this week, a home solar shopper took to Reddit looking for a home solar panel + home backup battery system that could intelligently manage solar and grid power, auto switch in a power outage, and accept ICE generator input in a prolonged grid power failure. I reached out to some home energy experts to get them an answer.

The Mercedes EQA, Hyundai IONIQ 5, and BMW i4 hold onto their battery health better than any other electric car, according to the largest independent study of used-EV batteries ever run.

That’s the ranking that falls out of 500,000-plus battery tests published by Austrian diagnostics firm AVILOO, which measured 20 popular EVs at up to 150,000 km (93,000 miles) of use.

Donut Lab has published a new independent test claiming its battery reached an energy density of 409 Wh/kg and 805 Wh/L, the first energy-density figure the company has put on record after months of scrutiny.

But the number lands against a promise the company has already broken: that this “solid-state” cell was in production and ready to power a production EV by the end of Q1 2026. It isn’t, and it wasn’t.