A number of companies in China look set to establish new domestic facilities for paraxylene (PX) production. This comes as China, the world’s largest producer of polyester, makes rapid progress...
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Yakult, JAXA Maintain Viability of Lactobacillus Shirota Probiotic in Space
Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd. (TYO:2267) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have confirmed that the Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) is able to maintain its probiotic functions even under...
Toyobo Looks to Open New TPC Polymerization Center in Thailand
Toyobo Co. Ltd. (TYO:3101) is planning to boost its polymerization capacity for thermoplastic copolyester elastomers (TPCs). This is seeing the company look to raise its capacity by approximately 20 percent...
Pana-Chemical Continues to Export Recycled Plastics Despite Difficult Market Conditions
Pana-Chemical Co. Ltd. is looking to advance the waste plastics industry, which has seen chaotic times since China implemented regulations on the import of plastic waste. In the face of...
Asahi Kasei Considers Production Increase for Lead–Acid Battery Separators in Asia
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) is looking to significantly increase its production for lead–acid battery separators. While the company is already moving to increase its separator supply in the U.S., consideration...
Japan Fine Steel Develops Thinner Aluminum Wires for Automotive Wire Harnesses
Japan Fine Steel Co. Ltd. (JFS) is enhancing its efforts to help make vehicle bodies lighter. This has seen the company establish a new thinning technology for the production of...
Saudi Aramco, Total Plan 1.5M-Ton Ethylene Project for 2024
Saudi Aramco and Total SA have started work on the front-end engineering design for a new petrochemical complex project in Saudi Arabia. Under current plans, the Saudi state firm and...
Sumitomo Chemical Set to Manufacture RNA for CRISPR Gene Editing
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005) is set to begin supplying pharmaceutical-grade ribonucleic acid (RNA) for use with CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology, commonly known as CRISPR. CRISPR technology is able to...
Unitika Targets Expansion for Resin Business
Unitika Ltd. (TYO:3103) is looking to expand its business for resins, with plans to establish new mass production facilities for its Xecot line of polyamide 10T resin by fiscal 2020....
Dow Chemical Recycles Plastic Waste Into Road Asphalt
Amid mounting concern over the environmental problems posed by plastic waste, Dow Chemical Co. is working to develop ways of using this waste in the construction of asphalt roads. This...
AGC to Expand Biopharmaceutical Production in US
AGC Inc. (TYO:5201), formerly known as Asahi Glass Co. Ltd., is gearing up to expand its biopharmaceuticals production in the U.S., with plans here being to set up a new...
Tokyo Chemical Industry Launches New Tissue-Clearing Reagents for Research Use
Tokyo Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. (TCI) recently launched a range of new products under its Cubic series of reagents, which are used in research applications to turn tissue and organs...
Mitsubishi Chemical Moves to Implement Smart Safety Measures
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. is speeding up efforts aimed at bringing smart safety to its operations. This will see the company establish a dedicated body for smart safety and digitize its...
Teijin Works to Expand Business for CFRTP Auto Parts
Teijin Ltd. (TYO:3401) is making a range of new efforts for molded products made of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) with a thermoplastic resin matrix. This is seeing the company...
Futamura Targets Growth, Environmental Measures for Cellulose Film Business
Futamura Chemical Co. Ltd. President Yasuo Nagae has revealed to The Chemical Daily a range of plans for expanding his company’s cellulose business. The company holds a worldwide market share...
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Looks to Strengthen US Market Position by Using Shale Gas
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. Inc. (TYO:4182) is considering the construction of a new plant that would produce methanol and other chemicals using inexpensive North American shale gas. Current plans here...
Asahi Kasei Targets Major Production Increases for LiB Separators
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) is moving forward with efforts to significantly boost its production capacity for lithium-ion secondary battery (LiB) separators in Japan. This comes as electric vehicles (EVs), which...
Butadiene Prices Experience Further Drop in Asian Market
Prices in the Asian butadiene market have continued to decline as of late. This has seen prices trend downward from a recent peak of around $1,750 per ton in late...
Kaneka Pursues Food Packaging Approval for Biodegradable Plastic in Japan, Europe
Kaneka Corp. (TYO:4118) is looking toward a full-scale rollout of its biodegradable plastic in food packaging applications. The company here is making efforts in Japan and the EU, where it...
Soaring Crude Oil Prices Push Naphtha Price Higher
Naphtha prices have been ratcheting up in the Asian market as of late, with prices here now sitting in the $700 per ton range for the first time in four...
