LG Electronics Inc. on Wednesday said it will promote as one of its new growth engines antibacterial glass powder, or fine particles made with crushed glass.

Such powder has high utility because of its antibacterial and antifungal effects when added to a range of materials like plastic, fiber, paint and coating agents.

With the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for antibacterial materials has soared. A range of sectors like healthcare, packaging, medicine and building materials apply many such materials and their uses are expanding.

Since last year, LG Electronics has helped customers use its products hygienically by adding antibacterial glass powder to plastic components such as handles and parts frequently touched by people on LG home appliances like refrigerators, washers and air conditioners.

With such powder leading the way, the company will promote new-concept functional materials, a market whose value is expected to reach 24 trillion won ($18 billion) this year.

Since starting research on glass powder in 1996, LG Electronics has secured 219 related patents and owns plants with annual capacity of 4,500 tons at LG Smart Park in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.

The company in 2013 first applied functional glass powder to an oven released in North America, presenting its EasyClean function that uses the powder to coat the metal surface inside the oven to simplify interior cleaning.