Mitsui Chemicals/Toyota Boshoku licence modifiers for auto market; Mitsui opens PE plant in Singapore

Toyota Boshoku Corporation and Mitsui Chemicals have been considering a business alliance for the commercialisation of high impact-resistant plastic since November 2016. The two companies have recently concluded a license agreement on the use by Mitsui Chemicals of patents which Toyota Boshoku holds on the high impact-resistant plastic.

Based on this agreement, Mitsui Chemicals will seek to expand its modifier business by this high impact-resistant plastic as one of the modifiers made by Mitsui Chemicals not only in the automotive market but also in the industrial and consumer goods market, taking advantage of its manufacturing technologies, equipment and sales channels for the use of this high impact-resistant plastic.

Toyota Boshoku has developed a method of using the high impact-resistant plastic which it has developed jointly with Toyota Central R&D Labs, Inc., as a modifier that improves the impact-resistant performance of plastics. It has been looking to commercialise this development with Mitsui Chemicals in expectation of growing application for not only in-house products such as automobile seats and door trims, but also for other parts in areas other than automobiles that require impact resistance.

In the years ahead, Mitsui says it will work to disseminate this high impact-resistant plastic by using its technical expertise and sales channels in the area of plastic modifiers, while Toyota Boshoku will seek to strengthen the competitiveness of its in-house products by considering applications for automobile seats and door trims that will contribute to the better automotive safety performance.

Meanwhile in other news, Prime Evolue Singapore (a joint venture of Prime Polymer 80% and Mitsui & Co., 20%;) a local subsidiary in Singapore of Prime Polymer Co. (a joint venture of Mitsui Chemicals, 65% and Idemitsu Kosan Co., 35%) recently opened its Evolue PE plant in Singapore.

Evolue PE, manufactured using metallocene catalyst, is said to be a highly functional sealant with impressive strength, airtightness, and heat seal-ability in addition to low odour and low fish-eye, and is widely used as high-performance sealants in flexible packaging for foods and various daily necessities.

Demand for highly functional sealant materials is expected to increase further in the Asian market, and the company established the plant in Singapore close to the growing Asian market in October 2012. It commenced commercial operations in August 2016. With its annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes, together with that of the first commercial plant in Ichihara Works, Japan, the total Evolue production capacity of Prime Polymer Group becomes 550,000 tonnes.

The company says it will consolidate its leading position in Asia, including Japan, by significantly expanding the supply capacity of highly functional sealant materials through the business development of Prime Evolue and further strengthening and expanding the Evolue business.