Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) and PTT Global Chemical PCL (PTTGC) announced on Aug. 9 that two venture between Mitsui Chemicals and SCG Chemicals Co. Ltd. to manufacture purified terephthalic acid...
News
Price Spread Widens for Paraxylene and Naphtha
The margin between paraxylene (PX) and naphtha has been rising as of late. This comes as PX inventories – which had been piling up over the April–June period – began...
Toray’s Long History of Carbon Fiber Development – Part 2
Toray Industries Inc. (TYO:3402) holds a leading share of the market for carbon fiber, having played a significant role in the material’s development throughout its history. Following on from earlier...
Japanese Chemical Manufacturers Ride Wave of South Korea’s Electronics Boom
Business in South Korea is growing for Japanese manufacturers, coming in conjunction with the country’s expansion of LCD and OLED screens, semiconductors and smartphones as primary sectors. South Korea’s economic...
Synthetic Rubber Prices Poised to Continue Upward Trend
Synthetic rubber prices in Japan are continuing to rise, driven largely by an across-the-board increase in raw material costs. This has included naphtha, butadiene, styrene monomer and acrylonitrile (AN), each...
Toray’s Long History of Carbon Fiber Development – Part 1
Following its slogan, “Materials can change our lives,” Toray Industries Inc. (TYO:3402) helps contribute to energy conservation and greenhouse gas reductions via its Torayca carbon fiber and carbon fiber reinforced...
Mitsui Chemicals Plans European Clinical Research for Sepsis Testing Technology
Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) is looking to expand R&D efforts overseas with its new testing technology for sepsis, a severe infectious disease. This comes as part of a plan to...
Mitsubishi Chemical Targets Further Synergy Between Engineering Plastics, Carbon Fiber Composites
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. is speeding up its efforts to create synergy between its High Performance Engineering Plastics Division and Carbon Fiber & Composite Materials Division. As of January, both divisions...
Kaneka to Quintuple Production Capacity for Biodegradable Plastic
Kaneka Corp. (TYO:4118) announced on Aug. 7 that it plans to boost its production capacity for biodegradable plastic. This comes as demand for such materials is forecast to rise, driven...
Toray Plans Launch of Low-Cost RFID Tags
Toray Industries Inc. (TYO:3402) is moving to introduce radio frequency identification (RFID) tags made using printable semiconductors, with plans being to test these at real stores as soon as 2019....
Maruzen Petrochemical to Upgrade Naphtha Cracking Furnaces
Maruzen Petrochemical Co. Ltd. is upgrading its ethylene facilities by replacing some smaller, older furnaces at the heart of its naphtha cracking operation. The upgrade work will be coordinated with...
Japan’s Environment Ministry to Select, Acknowledge Environmental Brands
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment (MOE) is in the process of establishing a system for selecting and recognizing companies making outstanding efforts to help the environment. The MOE expects that...
Only Three Major Japanese Chemical Firms Increase Profits for April–June Quarter
Eight major Japanese chemical companies have released their financial results for the April–June quarter of 2018. While all saw increases in revenue, only three saw a rise in operating profit....
China’s Petroleum, Chemical Industries Brace for Uncertainty Following Strong First Half
Total sales for January–June in China’s petroleum and chemical industries have come in at 6.43 trillion yuan ($937.2 billion), marking a 13.2 percent year-on-year increase. Coming in response to vigorous...
CPC Explores Plan to Build New Petrochemical Complex in India
CPC Corp., Taiwan, is considering building a new petrochemical complex in India, launching feasibility studies at two candidate sites as part of this. The petrochemical complex under consideration would include...
Sekisui Chemical Ramps up Efforts in Electrical and Electronic Materials
Sekisui Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4204) is boosting its electronics business through its High-Performance Plastics (HPP) Company. For fiscal 2017, the HPP Company posted record-high profits for the fifth year in...
Japanese Paper and Packaging Companies Spur Nano-Fibrillated CNF Development
Japan is seeing a growing base of development support for cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) measuring only a few nanometers in diameter. Daio Paper Corp. (TYO:3880) announced on Aug. 1 that it...
Shanghai Petrochemical Pursues Mass Production of Large-Tow Carbon Fiber
Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co. Ltd. is pressing forward with efforts to begin mass production of large-tow carbon fiber made with polyacrylonitrile (PAN). A subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corp....
Supply and Demand Remains Tight for Methyl Methacrylate
The global supply–demand balance for methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer appears unlikely to ease up in the near future. Lucite International Inc., a U.S.-based subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. (TYO:4188),...
Singapore Takes up Leading Role in LNG Trade
Singapore is continuing to grow its presence as a world-leading trading hub for liquefied natural gas (LNG), reaching the same level as London in this sector. As one initiative here,...
