Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) will construct a new plant for engineering plastics in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, China. Operations will be moved from the company’s current factory in Shuzou, another city in Jiangsu Province, with the new factory expected for completion in early 2019. As part of the move, production capacity will be increased by 50...
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Japanese Auto Parts Makers Gain Traction as Chinese Industry Reaches Turning Point
The Chinese automobile industry has reached a turning point. Production rose 4.6 percent year-on-year to 13.526 million units in the first half of 2017, according to figures from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). Sales increased 3.8 percent to 13.354 million units over the same period. Japanese parts and materials manufacturers with a presence...
Asahi Kasei Improves Yield, Reduces Byproducts in MMA Catalytic Conversion
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) has developed new catalysts that produce methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers. The company is close to introducing the catalysts at its facilities in the city of Kawasaki. Asahi Kasei has changed the catalysts in the first and second stages to significantly boost yield compared to conventional techniques. The addition of the new...
Chinese VOC Regulations for New Cars Could Mean AD Duty on POM Imports
Regulations in China now require low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) inside all new cars sold in January of this year onward. The new regulations were put into effect based on the previously recommended VOC criteria by the Chinese government. Cars sold before January of this year will also be required to meet the...
Japanese Chemical Giants to Leverage AI, Big Data for Joint Research Into Polymer Materials
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp., Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005), Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) and Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) plan to work with the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) on basic research into polymer materials. The four firms have agreed to contribute both basic research data on polyolefins and researchers in the hope of developing data...
Key to the Car of Tomorrow: V2X – Part 2
When it comes to the connected car and other next-generation automobiles, attention has mostly focused on fuel and driving innovations. Yet improving comfort is also an important factor. New technologies are coming in light of a variety of objectives, such as drivability and ride quality. In addition to air conditioning and lighting, there is growing...
Asahi Kasei Reveals Record 200B Yen Investment Plan for 2017
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) President Hideki Kobori held a press conference in Tokyo on May 30, during which he shared the company’s plans to ramp up investments. Spending finalized for the current fiscal year will amount to 200 billion yen ($1.8 billion), the largest ever for the company. Asahi Kasei has a laundry list of...
Chemical, Materials Firms Set to Exceed 1 Trillion Yen in Capital Investments for 2017
Investments in plant and equipment by major chemical and materials companies during fiscal 2017 are set to total 1.18 trillion yen ($10.62 billion), increasing 20 percent over the previous year’s total, which was less than 1 trillion yen. The wide margin of increase comes on top of levels of investment that were already high, owing...
Asahi Kasei Heads to Silicon Valley in Search of Innovative Auto Technology
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) has set up an intelligence-gathering operation in Silicon Valley to focus on the automotive sector. Positioning growth in this field as its top priority, Asahi Kasei dispatched a staff member to the U.S. from its Automotive Marketing Department in April. The department was established last year to enhance functions throughout the...
Asahi Kasei Unveils Next-Generation EV Concept Car
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) unveiled on May 17 its next-generation concept car. Developed by bringing together the company’s products and technologies, the car of the future is equipped with 27 products and technologies including materials, devices and systems that encapsulate the full capabilities of Asahi Kasei’s automobile business. Asahi Kasei will utilize the vehicle to...
Japan’s Petrochemical Industry Sees Revitalization With Ethylene Facility Upgrades
A noticeable trend is taking place in Japan with a spurt in capital investment to upgrade petrochemical facilities. Asahi Kasei Mitsubishi Chemical Ethylene Corp. will revamp its facilities at the Mizushima Plant this year to increase ethylene production. Tosoh Corp. (TYO:4042), meanwhile, has begun looking into boosting the efficiency of the company’s ethylene plant in...
Asahi Kasei Combines S-SBR, Sensors for “Intelligent” Next-Generation Tires
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) is set to begin promoting “intelligent” next-generation tires that feature magnetic and acceleration sensors embedded in solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR). Asahi Kasei’s incorporation of both S-SBR and sensor technologies into the same business operation is the first effort of its kind in the world. The company expects to be able to...
Targeting EV Market, Asahi Kasei Microdevices Accelerates Development of High-Performance Current Sensors
Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corp. has accelerated its development of electric current sensors for engine control in electric vehicles (EVs) and other eco-friendly cars. Despite having just launched a new product at the end of 2016 that has a maximum measured electric current of 40 amperes, an effective current of 20 amperes and a drive voltage...
Digest: Chemical Price Hike Announcements for Week of April 10
A series of price hikes were announced by chemical companies during the week of April 10 – April 14. Unless noted otherwise, all price increases listed here are per kilogram. In methyl methacrylate (MMA), Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) raised prices by 20 yen from April 15, and Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) will raise prices by...
Chemical Companies Compete to Develop Polymide for Flexible Displays – Part 2
Competition surrounding the development of polymide (PI) is heating up in the chemical industry. Being targeted for PI development are flexible display boards for mobile devices such as smartphones. Major PI manufacturer Ube Industries Ltd. (TYO:4208) is particularly strong with PI film for two-layer copper clad laminate (CCL). The company has been actively marketing its...
Asahi Kasei Considers Vietnam for Second Base in Global Expansion of Airbag Material Business
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) is moving toward international expansion of its automotive airbag material business. The company has strengthened its fiber production base and has plans to build a second one in Southeast Asia, looking at Vietnam as a top candidate. With these two production bases, the company will work to develop markets in North...
Digest: Chemical Price Hike Announcements for Week of March 27
A series of price hikes were announced by chemical companies during the week of March 27 – March 31. Unless noted otherwise, all price increases listed here are per kilogram. Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) increased the price of all styrene-butadiene (SB) latex products by 70 yen or more from April 1. The company will also...
Digest: Chemical Price Hike Announcements for Week of March 20
A series of price hikes were announced by chemical companies during the week of March 20 – March 24. Unless noted otherwise, all price increases listed here are per kilogram. In caustic soda, Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) will raise prices by no less than 10 yen ($0.09) for products with 97-percent solid conversion on April...
Asahi Kasei to Sell Modified PPE in Auto Sector as Lightweight Substitute for Many Plastics
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) will market modified polyphenylene ether (PPE) in the automotive sector. Due to the material’s thermal resistance and electrical properties, demand for modified PPE in peripheral parts such as batteries, lights and onboard cameras is growing as automakers outfit vehicles with more electronics. Modified PPE is a strong, lightweight engineering plastic that...
Asahi Kasei to Develop CNF Nonwoven Fabric for Electronic and Cell Culture Applications
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) plans to develop business in cellulose nanofiber (CNF) nonwoven fabric. The company will first commercialize a product for such applications as cell culture base materials, electronic materials and heat exchange membranes within two to three years. It will also build a system for mass production and explore applications for automotive component...
