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Asahi Kasei Looks to Establish New Business Models With Battery-Related Business Nov. 19, 2021. - Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) is moving quickly to establish various new business models with its battery materials business. Plans here... […]

Western Chemical Companies Embark on Bold Portfolio Reorganizations Nov. 19, 2021. - A growing number of Western chemical companies are undertaking sweeping reorganizations of their business portfolios. While DuPont de Nemours Inc.... […]

AGC to Market Caustic Soda in Southeast Asia With Focus on LiB Cathode Materials

Major Chemical and Raw Material Companies Post Higher Than Expected Results From Health Care Operations

Thailand’s Liberalization of Industrial-Use Hemp Attracts Interest From Host of Players Domestically and Abroad

TSMC Partners up With Sony on New Chip Plant in Kyushu

Materials

DIC Looks to Bolster Business in Materials to Combat Electrical Noise Nov. 25, 2021. - DIC Corp. (TYO:4631) is focusing its efforts on developing compounds that help deal with electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), or electrical noise.... […]

Mitsubishi Chemical to Mass-Produce GaN Substrates Starting Next Year Nov. 25, 2021. - Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. has confirmed the feasibility of growing 4-inch gallium nitride (GaN) single-crystal substrates. A compound of gallium and... […]

Kuraray Develops Super-Heat-Resistant Polyamide With Potential to Replace PEEK

Tokyo University Proves CNF Crystallinity to Be Recoverable

Mitsubishi Chemical Looks to Boost Production of High-Performance Separating Agents for Medical, Semiconductor Applications

Gun Ei Chemical Industry to Boost Production of Phenolic Resins for Photoresists

Market Background

China’s Power Restrictions Lead to High ECH Prices in Asia Nov. 24, 2021. - The price of epichlorohydrin (ECH) is soaring in the Asian market. This is in part because power restrictions put in... […]

Lithium Compound Prices at Record High Amid Strong LiB Demand and Lower Chinese Output Nov. 11, 2021. - The international market for lithium compounds has set a new record. Entering this year, lithium demand came roaring back –... […]

Ethylene, Propylene Prices Sit High Amid Surging Raw Material Costs, Electricity Shortage

Impact of Automotive Production Drop Spreads to Chemical Industry

Petrochemical Prices Continue to Soar Due to Expensive Crude Oil, Electricity Shortages, Logistics Issues

Japan’s Ethylene Factory Utilization Rate Reaches 93.8% in September

Innovation

Toray Pursues Work Style Reforms Through Digital Technology Nov. 26, 2021. - Toray Industries Inc. (TYO:3402) is looking to fully leverage digital technology in its pursuit of operational improvements. Amid growing calls... […]

All-Solid-State Batteries Edge Closer to Market Entry Nov. 17, 2021. - A market launch for all-solid-state batteries appears to be not too far around the corner. While the state of technology... […]

NIES and Mitsubishi Chemical Produce Nanosized Reference Materials for Five Major Commodity Resins

Academic Team Develops Method to Turn Bio-Based Polycarbonate Into Fertilizer

NIMS Teams up With Japanese Chemical Giants to Develop New MI Method

Mitsubishi Chemical to Employ In-House Supercomputer for MI Engineering of Battery Materials, Organic Semiconductors and Hopes of a Circular Carbon Society

Interviews

BASF Pursues Ethylene Production Using Electric Steam Crackers – Part 2: Interview With Petrochemicals President Hartwig Michels Nov. 2, 2021. - BASF SE is making a concerted effort toward the real-world use of electrically heated steam cracker furnaces, teaming up on... […]

Interview: Showa Denko President Kohei Morikawa Shines Light on Company Strategy Going Forward

Interview: Mitsubishi Chemical Director Rumiko Nakata Discusses Personnel System Reform

Interview: Covestro China President Holly Lei Talks Strategy, Market Conditions

Investment Funds Take up Increasing Role in Chemical M&A Deals – Part 2: Interview with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Partner Barbara Keil

Sustainability

Mitsui Chemicals Turns to Microwave Technology for Chemical Recycling Nov. 24, 2021. - Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) is readying a pilot plant to launch verification testing for the chemical recycling of automotive shredder... […]

Daicel-Evonik to Launch Biomass-Derived Optical Lens Material

Polystyrene Companies Move Toward Chemical Recycling as European Regulations Fuel Sense of Urgency

Kaneka Eyes Major Ramp-up in Production of Marine-Biodegradable Polymer

Coronavirus

Spate of Japanese-Developed COVID-19 Vaccines Head Into Later Stages of Development, Clinical Trials Oct. 29, 2021. - COVID-19 vaccine development efforts from a number of Japanese pharmaceutical companies have made their way into the later stages of... […]

Indonesia Faces Worsening Shortage of Medical Oxygen as COVID-19 Cases Surge

Asahi Kasei Confirms Deep-UV LEDs Can Inactivate COVID-19

Second COVID-19 Wave in India Could Bring More Exports Into Play as Domestic Demand Plummets

Regulatory Agencies

METI Seeks to Scale up Demonstration Testing in Plastic Recycling Project Oct. 7, 2021. - The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is looking to scale up its initiative to promote advanced recycling by... […]

METI Project for Next-Gen Batteries Targets Quality Through New Materials Aug. 4, 2021. - The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has revealed its plans with a development project for next-gen storage batteries,... […]

Japan Targets 60% Non-Fossil Fuel Power Supply by 2030

International Standards for Antiviral Plastics Take on Increasing Importance

Japan’s Environment Ministry to Promote Hydrogen Engine Trucks

MEXT Eyes Game Changer With Platforms for Materials Digital Transformation