Mitsui Chemicals to Establish New Production Facility in China for Long Glass Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene
－Expanding business with construction of a global system－
2019.03.05
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo: 4183; President & CEO: Tsutomu Tannowa) has decided to set up a new production facility for long glass fiber reinforced polypropylene (LGFPP) at Chinese manufacturing subsidiary Mitsui Advanced Composites (Zhongshan) Co, Ltd. (President: Yasuhiro Niki).
This will become Mitsui Chemicals’ third manufacturing base for LGFPP, joining existing bases in Japan and the U.S. By establishing this new facility, Mitsui Chemicals’ production capacity for LGFPP will increase to 10,500 tons per year.
Overview of the New Production Facility
| 1. Product | Long glass fiber reinforced polypropylene (LGFPP) |
|---|---|
| 2. Location | Mitsui Advanced Composites (Zhongshan) Co., Ltd. (Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China) |
| 3. Capacity | 3,500 tons/year |
| 4. Schedule (tentative) | Completion in February 2020 Operations commence in September 2020 |
Developed by Prime Polymer Co., Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals’ LGFPP is a composite material made by melting and mixing polypropylene (PP) resin with long glass fibers. The lightweight material offers an attractive appearance, with long glass fibers providing a good balance between hardness and impact resistance. The material is already being adopted in areas such as the unpainted insides of rear car doors.
The recent strengthening of environmental regulations and a shift toward electric vehicles have led to increasing needs for automotive lightweighting.
As a result, demand is on the rise for fiber-reinforced resins and is expected to grow further for such materials able to substitute for metal such as car doors and other such parts. (Mitsui Chemicals certifies LGFPP as Blue Value™ product according to the high environmental contribution value.)
Mitsui Chemicals aims to achieve further business expansion in mobility, a key sector for the company, by continuing to correctly gauge global growth in demand.
Mitsui Advanced Composites (Zhongshan) Co., Ltd.
| 1. Established | April 2004 |
|---|---|
| 2. Capital and Stakes | US$15.31 million Mitsui Chemicals : 50% Prime Polymer : 20% SCG Chemicals Singapore : 20% Other: 10% |
| 3. Chairman President |
Yasuhiro Niki Michiharu Muraoka |
| 4. Head Office and Plant | 18 Haojiang Road, Zhongshan Torch Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China |
| 5. Business | Manufacture and sale of polypropylene compound |
To create “a cohesive society in harmony with the environment", Mitsui Chemicals Group makes the contributions of its products and services more visible to share that value with stakeholders. We assess products and services with separate metrics according to their usage and award Blue Value™ certification to those that have high value in making an environmental contribution.
Environmental Contribution Value, Blue Value™