Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005) is continuing to make inroads on the solution styrene butadiene rubber (S–SBR) market in Europe. For European winter tires, the company has developed a new grade of S–SBR that improves cold resistance while also providing grip performance and fuel efficiency. Capable of maintaining its pliability in cold-weather regions, the new grade of S–SBR is currently...
Materials
Bridgestone DPJ Leads Japan in Net Sales of Industrial Rubber Products
According to data on individual company performance concerning industrial rubber products, from 2014 to 2015 Tokyo-based Bridgestone Diversified Products Japan Co. Ltd. posted net sales of approximately 85.3 billion yen ($780.92 million), the highest in Japan. The company was formed on January 1, 2015, when Bridgestone Diversified Products East Co. Ltd. and Bridgestone Diversified Products West Co. Ltd. merged to...
Zeon Reports FY 2015 Results, Synthetic Rubber Sales Volume Up 2%
Zeon Corp. (TYO:4205) has announced its consolidated net sales declined by 4 percent year-on-year to 295.6 billion yen ($2.8 billion), and its net income decreased by 5 percent to 18 billion yen for the fiscal year ending March 2016. Price drops in export thermoplastic elastomers and rubbers, led by general-purpose rubbers, negatively affected the earnings for the period. Meanwhile, consolidated...
JSR to Boost S-SBR Production in Thailand
JSR BST Elastomer Co. Ltd. (JBE) plans to begin commercial operations of its phase-two plant in the second half of current fiscal year (April-October 2016). JBE, a joint venture between JSR Corp. (TYO:4185) and Thailand’s Bangkok Synthetics Co. Ltd., manufactures solution styrene butadiene rubber (S-SBR) in Thailand. The new facility is located adjacent to the phase-one plant. Its annual production...

Lanxess CEO Zachert Visits Japan, Highlights Stable Business
Lanxess AG is focusing on investment for organic growth, said Matthias Zachert, chairman of the German chemical firm’s management board at a press conference at Tokyo’s Palace Hotel during a recent visit to Japan. Outlining corporate activities for fiscal 2016, he said that the company has been working to rebuild business operations during the 24 months following his appointment. According...
Ube Industries to Begin Full-fledged Operation of Malaysian BR Venture
Lotte Ube Synthetic Rubber SDN BHD (LUSR), a Malaysian polybutadiene rubber (BR) manufacturing joint venture of Ube Industries Ltd. (TYO:4208), has reached the final stages of preparations for full-fledged operations. Ube Industries’ fourth BR manufacturing location, LUSR will have a production capacity of 50,000 tons per year. It began commercial operations in June 2015. At the current stage, operations are...