Japan’s total demand for carbon black is expected to drop for a second consecutive year, according to a recent forecast from the country’s Carbon Black Association. Including exports, demand here is estimated at 775,218 tons for 2020, which would mark a year-on-year decline of 0.6 percent. Demand for rubber applications – this being calculated based on forecasts of customer sectors...
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) recently announced that it has established a natural rubber procurement subsidiary in Singapore in an effort to secure a stable supply of high-quality natural rubber. Named Sumitomo Rubber Singapore Pte. Ltd., this new company is set to begin operations in April. Sumitomo Rubber has so far procured natural rubber through a specialized division of Singaporean...
Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) recently held the 2019 Global Small Group Activity Conference, an event for highlighting excellent examples of company employees coming up with improvements in the workplace. Held at Sun Court East – a company training facility in Aichi Prefecture, Japan – the event saw approximately 210 attendees. This included Toyoda Gosei executives, as well as representatives...
Boasting a history of more than 130 years, Cabot Corp. is the world’s largest producer of carbon black. Noriaki Yamanashi, head of the company’s Japanese arm, Cabot Japan KK, said that his company’s existence has significant meaning for the parent firm, with Japan serving as a base to hold dialogues with some of the world’s leading tire manufacturers. Cabot has...
Denka Co. Ltd. (TYO:4061) recently announced that it is planning a business withdrawal for ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA) emulsion and vinyl acetate resin. The company intends to stop its operations here by August 2021. Denka has been producing and selling these two materials since the 1970s, and has worked constantly to cut costs while pursuing a number of other business improvements....
Achilles Corp. (TYO:5142), a manufacturer of rubber and resin products, has developed a new polyurethane material named Acrofoam. The material exhibits excellent rebound resilience – around 60 percent higher than that of general-purpose polyurethane – as well as the ability to be molded into various shapes. Noting the frequency with which runners injure their feet, Achilles has previously targeted sports...
