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...
electric vehicles
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...
Sumitomo Chemical Eyes More In-House Production of LiB Separator Substrate Material
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005) is looking into boosting production of base film for lithium-ion secondary battery (LiB) separators. The company hopes to finalize the investment without delay for inclusion...
Mitsubishi Chemical to Restart UK Electrolyte Plant Next Spring
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. plans to resume operations at its U.K. electrolyte factory for lithium-ion secondary batteries (LiBs) in spring of 2018. The move comes in response to growing demand in...
Hitachi Zosen Achieves Thickness of 10 Micrometers for Super Engineering Plastic
Hitachi Zosen Corp. (TYO:7004) has developed a film-forming system that enables super engineering plastics to be processed at a thickness of 10 micrometers. While companies have conventionally struggled to make...
Lithium Carbonate Market Expected to Remain Strong
The market for lithium carbonate is increasingly robust, with the per-kilogram price rising by $3 to $4 in just a few months to the current $24. Demand for lithium carbonate...
Sumitomo Chemical Works on New Liquid Crystal Polymer for High-Frequency Devices
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005) is targeting an early market launch for a new liquid crystal polymer (LCP) suited to high-frequency devices. Suppressing the dielectric dissipation factor to a level...
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...
Imerys Targets Electric Vehicle Market With New LiB Electrode Materials
Imerys Graphite & Carbon Switzerland Ltd is strengthening its efforts to provide materials used in secondary lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). The company recently obtained surface processing technology for negative electrode materials...
Teijin looks to Enter Market for Automotive Lithium-Ion Battery Separators
Teijin Ltd. (TYO:3401) plans to roll out separators for automotive lithium-ion secondary batteries (LiBs). The new separators will most likely be utilized by LiBs found in plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs)...
Global Market for Lithium Carbonate Continues to Decline
The international market for lithium carbonate continues to sink as an increasing number electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturers in China are hesitant to purchase the material. This comes on account...
Denka Targets 100 Billion Yen for Automotive Business in 2025
Denka Co Ltd. (TYO:4061) is targeting sales of automotive products to increase to 100 billion yen ($935.59 million) in 2025. The plan is to capture demand for heat-dissipating materials for...
Sumitomo Chemical Aims to Grow LiB Cathode Materials Into 10 Billion Yen Business
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005) is poised to grow its cathode material for lithium-ion secondary batteries (LiBs) into a 10 billion yen ($95.52 million) business by 2020. The company aims...
