Key material for next-generation copper-clad laminates
Mass production expected to bring 200 billion won in sales from a single product
Kolon Industries said Wednesday that it has completed the expansion of its production line for modified polyphenylene oxide, or mPPO, a key material used in next-generation copper-clad laminates.
The company held a completion ceremony for the expanded mPPO production line at its No. 2 plant in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, on Tuesday. Kolon Industries finished building the new facility in the second quarter, then completed hazardous materials permitting and trial runs before starting production in the second half of the year. Kolon Industries is currently supplying the entire output to global copper-clad laminate manufacturers and plans to gradually expand production through the end of the year.
Kolon Industries expects the material to generate about 200 billion won ($149 million) in sales as a single product once mass production ramps up fully.
Copper-clad laminates made with mPPO are used in printed circuit boards, the key components that carry electrical signals between semiconductors and other parts. They reduce the speed loss and heat generation caused by signal loss in these circuit boards. Low-dielectric performance, which minimizes signal loss, becomes especially important in products that process large volumes of data at high speed, such as AI accelerators and 6G communication devices. mPPO offers roughly three to five times better low-dielectric performance than the epoxy resins conventionally used for the same purpose, making it well suited for producing high-performance copper-clad laminates.
"This expansion marks a turning point as our mPPO business enters a full-fledged growth phase," said Heo Seong, president of Kolon Industries. "We will nurture our next-generation electronic materials business into a new growth engine based on differentiated technology and quality competitiveness," he added.
klee@heraldcorp.com
