Molykote, a special lubricant produced and sold by Dow Corning Toray Co. Ltd., will celebrate its 70th year in 2018. Unlike regular lubricants, Molykote can withstand a large range of high and low temperatures while preventing wear and tear. It is used in automobile pistons and brakes to mitigate friction and to control vibrations, noise and squeaking. As a more...
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,...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
