Stainless steel slabs, dubbed “POS470FC,” produced by POSCO.

POSCO is aggressively devoting itself to tapping the stainless steel market. The reason is the uses of stainless steel are predicted to explode in an era of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Consider POSCO Technology Research Institute in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, dubbed “The Engine of POSCO’s Technology Development” and the second hot-rolled steel plant of Pohang Steelworks, in which a stainless steel slab, dubbed “POS470FC,” is produced.

Stainless steel is one of the most common types of steel used today, from kitchen appliances to construction and pipelines. Its non-corrosive, high-strength and 100 percent recyclable properties make stainless steel the go-to material for manufacturers across all industries.

It is also the most common material found in medical supplies, contributing to people’s health and safety on a daily basis.

The stainless steel POS470FC is used for producing metal separators of a fuel cell hydrogen car. This stainless steel, developed by POSCO in 2010, is applied to production of Hyundai Motor Nexo vehicles, the nation’s first mass-produced fuel cell hydrogen car.

Producing a fuel cell hydrogen car requires about 1,000 metal separators, weighing between 50 kg and 70 kg. If production of fuel cell hydrogen cars increases, demand for the stainless steel POS470FC is predicted to surge.

The government aims to supply 200,000 fuel cell hydrogen cars by 2025 in keeping with its policy on the “Korean New Deal.” POSCO plans to expand of the stainless steel to 200,000 tons, a 20-fold jump from current 1,000 tons.

POSCO has secured 70 patents related to the world’s first development of the stainless steel POS470FC for the metal separator of a fuel cell hydrogen car.

Kim Jong-hee, senior researcher with POSCO Steel Research Institute, has led the development of the stainless steel. Kim, who has spent 15 years for the development of the metal separator material, was honored with the “Young Engineer Award” from the National Academy of Engineering of Korea.

The researcher said POSCO, predicting the ushering of a hydrogen economy society in the future, has made institutional preparations since 2005. A corporate culture of trusting and waiting despite numerous failures has led to the successful development of the POS470FC, Kim said.

POSCO Group is trying to transform an integrated steelmaker into a global material supplier. To this end, POSCO is endeavoring to develop steel plates for the production of electric vehicles and personal air vehicles (PAV).

In particular, POSCO Chemical, a subsidiary of the business group, is massively expanding its capacity of producing anode and cathode materials, core parts of EV batteries.

While delivering a speech at POSCO Forum last November, POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo stressed that the steelmaker should be reborn into a “future mobility integrated material maker.”

A view of the remotely controlled integrated operation room of the second hot-rolled steel plant of Pohang Steelworks. (Photos: POSCO)