POSCO Air Solutions, an industrial gas specialist under the POSCO Group, is expanding its business beyond semiconductor materials into the aerospace sector. The company is not only building a domestic rare gas supply chain centered on semiconductors but also seeking entry into the global aerospace market.
According to industry sources on the 12th, POSCO Air Solutions recently sent samples of the rare gas xenon (Xe) to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for quality and performance evaluation. If sample evaluation and subsequent negotiations proceed smoothly, leading to a supply contract, the company is expected to enter the U.S. aerospace market.
Xenon is a rare gas that exists only in trace amounts in the air and is a high-value-added material widely used in both the semiconductor and aerospace industries. In particular, in the aerospace sector, it serves as a key propellant for electric thrusters used to maintain satellite orbits and control their attitude. Xenon for aerospace applications requires not only high purity and consistent quality but also stable supply capabilities. If it passes NASA's quality verification, it is expected to serve as a milestone for POSCO Air Solutions to gain recognition for its technological capability and quality competitiveness in the global aerospace market.
POSCO Air Solutions has been making efforts to enter the aerospace market. Following its first shipment of commercially produced xenon and krypton to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) last May, the company obtained AS9100D certification for its aerospace and defense quality management system from the global certification body LRQA in August. This marks the first such certification in Asia within the gas materials manufacturing sector. By establishing a rigorous quality control system required by the aerospace industry, the company has laid the groundwork for entering related markets.
The foundation of this business expansion lies in rare gas production capabilities. Utilizing cryogenic distillation technology, POSCO Air Solutions completed a high-purity rare gas production plant with an annual capacity of 130,000 normal cubic meters (N㎥) on the site of the Gwangyang Steelworks East Wharf last June. As a result, the company has established the first mass production system in Korea for four types of rare gases: xenon, krypton, neon, and helium. By receiving feed gas extracted from POSCO steelworks oxygen plants for purification, it has also built a vertically integrated structure spanning from raw material procurement to product production. This secures a domestic production base for rare gases that had largely relied on imports.
The company is also strengthening its production competitiveness in the semiconductor sector, its existing core market. Xenon and krypton are used in etching processes that form semiconductor circuits, while neon is utilized in lithography processes that pattern circuits. As semiconductor circuits become finer and advanced processes expand, securing a stable supply chain for high-purity rare gases has become increasingly important. POSCO Air Solutions has secured production capacity capable of supplying approximately 52% of the total domestic rare gas demand for the semiconductor market.
A POSCO Group official emphasized, "Based on a profound sense of responsibility to lead in stabilizing our country's future industrial supply chains, we will do our utmost to contribute to the domestic industry," adding that the company "will continue to grow as a rare gas specialist with competitiveness in the global market."
in INDUSTRY
