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Advanced chemical materials
POSCO FUTURE M produces raw chemical materials, such as coal tar and light oil, by highly refining coke oven gas (COG) and carbon by-products generated in cokes production.
Based on this, we are producing an increased volume of cutting-edge materials with high added-value, such as needle cokes and pitch cokes in domestic production sites, delivering a stable supply of mandatory materials.
We stay at the forefront of the industry through the constant development of new technologies and sound investment to ensure global competitiveness in raw materials, productivity and quality.

Product family | Characteristics | Used mainly in |
---|---|---|
Coal tar | Thick dark material generated as a by-product when heating carbon at a high temperature. It is usually obtained in the manufacturing process for cokes in steel production. | Anodes including needle and isotropic cokes Raw material Graphite electrodes |
Light Oil | A compound of benzene, toluene, and xylene obtained as a by-product during the purification process for coke oven gas | Manufacture of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX)* |
Oil | Creosote oil, naphthalene oil, blend oil, absorption oil produced while distilling coal tar | Carbon black (*) Plasticizers Water reducers for concrete |
* Benzene is used as intermediate material when producing various plastic. Toluene is used as a solvent used to dissolve chemicals and as a raw material for DNT. Xylene is used as a solvent.
* Carbon black : Fine carbon particles are used to produce a black pigment used in inks, tires, clothing, and electric wires.
We also deliver activated carbon that removes harmful substances we encounter daily (from the stratosphere and water) and is used as supplementary material for batteries.
POSCO FUTURE M is working to set up a stable system of supplying fundamental raw materials in anticipation of rapid growth of the EV market.

Product family | Characteristics | Used mainly in |
---|---|---|
Needle Cokes | Artificial cokes solidified by removing impurities like quinoline insoluble particles (QI) when processing coal tar at a high temperature. They resemble a needle and have high conductivity, low internal resistance, and are slow to expand when heated. | Artificial graphite electrodes
Artificial graphite anodes for secondary cells |
Pitch Cokes | Solid cokes that have not had quinoline insoluble particles (QIs) removed. They have an isotropic molecular structure that have a similar arrangement in all directions. It is a material with high density, high strength and outstanding thermal resistance. | Semiconductor silicon Isotropic graphite block for crucibles |
Activated Carbon | Can be standardized and commercialized into special-purpose goods that get rid of harmful substances with ultra-high output and superb capacity that supplement a shortage in EV battery output or enhance selective adhesive properties. | Supercapacitor electrodes
Air purification Water treatment |
P&O Chemical, a joint venture between POSCO FUTURE M and OCI, the first to produce hydrogen peroxide by using the by-product hydrogen extracted from COG in the steelmaking process. High purity hydrogen peroxide is a high-value material used in etching* and cleaning of semiconductors, displays and in the solar industry.
* Etching : A surface processing method designed to obtain the shape as needed by corroding and removing unwanted areas.


Semiconductors / displays

paper pulp bleaching

textile bleaching

medical industry (sterilizer)