Mitsui Chem starts up cyclo-olefin copolymer unit

30 June 2008 12:07  [Source: ICIS news]

TOKYO (ICIS news)--Mitsui Chemicals (MCI) has started commercial production at its newly-built, 3,000 tonne/year No 2 amorphous cyclo-olefin copolymer unit at its Osaka factory, the company said in a statement on Monday.

The Apel copolymer is mainly applied to information and electronic materials such as pick-up lenses for DVD recorders and lenses for camera phones, where demand is rapidly growing, according to MCI.

The applications of the product have also recently expanded into highly marketable high-grade packaging materials including tablet pharmaceuticals and shrink films due to its moisture proof and contractive characteristics, the chemical producer said.

These markets were expected to grow at a rate of 20% a year, the company added.

Based on MCI’s mid-term business plan launched in April 2008, the information and electronics materials business including Apel was one of the core businesses of its performance materials business sector, the company said.  

MCI started construction of the yen (Y) 6bn ($57m) unit since January 2007, it said.

($1 = Y105)

To discuss issues facing the chemical industry go to ICIS connect

 

By: Tomomi Yokomura
+65 6780 4359

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly