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...
electric vehicles
Mitsubishi Chemical to Boost LiB Electrolyte Capacity to 85,000 Tons by 2020
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. plans to expand its ability to produce electrolytes for lithium-ion secondary batteries (LiB), consolidating its position as the global market leader. The company intends to boost production...
Interview: Nissan’s Manabu Tachibana Discusses New Trends in Interior Materials
The automotive industry has been undergoing a number of notable shifts in recent years, spearheaded by developments in vehicle electrification and autonomous driving. But the realization of such progress necessitates...
Interview: PTT’s Wirat Uanarumit Talks LNG, Future Strategy
Thai-based PTT PLC is approaching a number of important junctions as the company looks to expand its business for LNG and respond to industry trends. The Chemical Daily recently sat...
Organo Prepares to Enter Battery Business
Organo Corp. (TYO:6368) is entering the battery sector. The company has developed two products for its new business. One is a solvent for use in the manufacture of liquid coatings...
NEDO Launches Second Phase of R&D Project for All-Solid-State LiBs
The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) announced on June 15 that it has started the second phase of an R&D project aimed at the early commercialization of...
Daikin Sets Sights on Next-Generation Automotive Components
Daikin Industries Ltd. (TYO:6367) is stepping up a gear in its quest to break into the automotive sector via its chemicals business. The company has positioned expansion into next-generation automotive...
Showa Denko Looks to Grow Business for LiB Anode Materials, Conductive Agents
Showa Denko KK (TYO:4004) is looking to expand its business for lithium-ion secondary battery (LiB) materials, placing anode materials and conductive agents at the core of this plan. The company...
Asahi Kasei Looks to Combine High-Level Performance and Safety for LiB Separators
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) is planning to accelerate its R&D efforts for separators used in the lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) of next-gen electric vehicles (EVs). Improvements to cathode materials are continuing...
Chinese-Owned Elkem Speeds up Silicone Specialization
Elkem ASA, a Chinese-owned supplier of silicon-related products such as silicone and metallic silicon, is rapidly propelling itself along a path to specialization. The company is part of China National...
Thailand Set to Become Hot Spot for LiB Investment
A number of firms engaged in the automotive and energy industries have formulated investment plans for Thailand as of late, intending to work with lithium-ion secondary batteries (LiBs) in the...
Sekisui Chemical Plans Chinese Research Base for Interlayer Films
Sekisui Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4204) is planning to establish a research center in Shanghai, China, in the near future to work with interlayer films for laminated automotive glass. The center...
Toyota Boshoku Develops Door Trim Prototype Using CNF Composite Material
Toyota Boshoku Corp. (TYO:3116) recently made a door trim prototype for use in automotive interiors. The prototype employs resin reinforced with cellulose nanofiber (CNF), and the Japanese automotive parts manufacturer...
Chinese Companies Make Way Into Thailand as Part of One Belt, One Road Initiative
China’s pursuit of its “One Belt, One Road” initiative, seen as an idea for a modern Silk Road, is leading companies from the country to surge into Thailand. Thai Deputy...
NGK Insulators Moves Toward Full-Fledged Development of All-Solid-State Batteries for Cars
NGK Insulators Ltd. (TYO:5333) is embarking on the development of automotive batteries. Setting up a dedicated organization within the company to pursue this, the Japanese manufacture plans to undertake full-fledged...
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Moves Toward Mass Production of Solid Electrolytes With Coating Process
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. Inc. (TYO:4182) is accelerating its development of solid electrolytes. Through a simple technique using organic solvent, the company has overcome bottleneck issues associated with the transition...
China Establishes Industry Group to Grow Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Sectors
A new industry group formed recently in China is targeting growth in the country’s hydrogen energy and fuel cell industries. With the Chinese government already seeking to position fuel cell...
Dexerials Looks to Develop Market for Next-Gen Car Materials
Dexerials Corp. (TYO:4980) is gearing up to further its market development for next-generation automotive materials, such as for use in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and electric vehicles (EVs). The...
BCG Study Projects 23% Market Share for Self-Driving Cars in 2035
Vehicles with Level 4–5 self-driving capabilities are projected to make up 23 percent of the global market for new passenger cars in 2035, according to a study by U.S.-based Boston...
Sekisui Chemical Plans Major Investment Into Film-Type LiB Production
Sekisui Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4204) has revealed plans to invest billions of yen (1 billion yen = $8.87 million) over the next several years into the mass production of film-type...
