According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on the 30th, Samsung SDI has filed for and is in the process of securing a patent for a composite anode material. The patent, titled “Composite anode active material and anode and lithium secondary battery including the same,” was originally filed on July 10, 2020, and was published on March 24. It covers an anode material combining graphite with an average particle size (D50) of approximately 18μm or larger, graphite of around 10μm or larger, and a silicon-carbon composite. The technology focuses on enhancing structural stability and extending battery lifespan by densely filling the electrode with graphite particles of different sizes.

With utilization rates among Korean battery manufacturers remaining around 50% and reflecting a timing mismatch between demand and supply, utilization is increasingly emerging as a key indicator of cost structure and operational efficiency in a context where capacity expansion has preceded demand realization.

Starting in 2027, L&F will supply LFP battery cathode materials to Samsung SDI for three consecutive years.

Samsung SDI has made an equity investment in FINO, the Korean subsidiary of CNGR. The investment was carried out through participation in a third-party allotment capital increase. FINO announced on the 27th that it will issue new shares worth KRW 70 billion via a third-party allocation, totaling 14,294,467 common shares at an issue price of KRW 4,897 per share.

Recently, L&F signed a lithium iron phosphate cathode material supply agreement with Samsung SDI, with a contract value of approximately 1.6 trillion Korean Won. The supply period under the agreement is from 2027 to 2029. It is noteworthy that L&F, as a South Korean battery material company, claims to be the first non-Chinese company to invest in LFP cathode material production. It is currently constructing an LFP production line with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons. The first phase, planned to have an annual capacity of 30,000 tons, is scheduled for completion in April 2026, with large-scale mass production expected to begin as early as the third quarter of 2026.

On March 18, the “Joint Struggle Headquarters,” formed by multiple unions at Samsung Electronics, announced that support for the strike that had been underway since the 9th of this month reached as high as 93.1. The union is expected to launch an 18-day general strike in late May. At a time when the global boom in data center construction continued to drive up demand for semiconductors, this move could cause wild swings in the global AI semiconductor supply chain.