Materials

Zeon Opens High-Performance Materials Distributor in California

Zeon Corp. (TYO:4205) has established a new local distributor for high-performance materials in California’s Silicon Valley. The company, Zeon Specialty Materials Inc. (ZSM), moved into its offices in October and will begin operating in January. The new entity will take over North American sales operations from fellow Zeon Group company Zeon Chemicals LP, which is based in Kentucky. More specifically,...

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Chloroprene Rubber Supply Tightens as Japanese Manufacturers Struggle to Keep up With Demand

The supply–demand balance for chloroprene rubber (CR) is tightening worldwide. Japanese CR manufacturers report that they are barely able to keep up with increased demand from existing users, let alone meet new demand. CR’s good balance of physical properties means that this synthetic rubber has found a diverse array of applications. Unable to meet demand despite operating at full capacity,...

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Shin-Etsu to Hike Silicone Product Prices From January

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4063) has announced a price change for all of its silicone products. Starting from shipments for January next year, the company will raise prices by 10 to 20 percent. The price of metallic silicon – a main raw material for silicone – has risen, and further increases are expected, a Shin-Etsu representative says. As it has...

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Japan’s Carbon Black Production Rises 0.3% for January–September

Domestic carbon black production increased 0.3 percent year-on-year to 419,983 tons for the first nine months of 2017, according to figures from the Carbon Black Association of Japan. Furnace black for rubber totaled 392,964 tons, up 0.5 percent. Meanwhile, other carbon black for non-rubber applications totaled 27,019 tons, down 2.8 percent. The total shipment volume for the period was 413,336...

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Hayakawa Rubber to Finish Second Molding Plant in December

Hayakawa Rubber Co. Ltd., a manufacturer of rubber products for civil engineering, construction, residential soundproofing and more, will complete the construction of a second molding plant on Dec 1. The new plant will be located on the premises of the company’s Minoshima Factory and headquarters in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, and total construction costs will amount to 500 million yen ($4.42...

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Mitsui Chemicals Posts Record-High Profits for First Half

Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) President and CEO Tsutomu Tannowa recently announced that the company set new record-high operating, ordinary and net profits in the first half (April–September) of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018. Over the period, the company generated 620.9 billion yen ($5.49 billion) in sales, 48.2 billion yen in operating profit, 49.9 billion yen in ordinary profit...

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