Page 162 - CW E-Magazine (4-3-2025)

News from Abroad

ELECTROLYTE SOLVENT COMPONENTS
Ube building new US facility to make dimethyl carbonate

and ethyl methyl carbonate

UBE Corporation held a ground-
breaking ceremony on February 13, for
a dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethyl
methyl carbonate (EMC) plant in
Louisiana, USA. Approximately 180 people
attended the ceremony, including many
government officials, local communi-
ties, and constructors.

“The investment in this plant is the
largest in the manufacturing facility in
Ube’s corporate history,” said Mr. Masato
Izumihara, President and Representative
Director of Ube Corporation. “As the
sole DMC and EMC manufacturer in
the US, the company will achieve high
productivity and supply products with
very little waste and emission while also
realising various synergy effects with
its newly acquired high-performance used in semiconductor manufacturing. to ethylene-based process. The plant
urethane systems business.” The new plant will produce DMC will produce 100-ktpa of DMC and
using Ube’s proprietary gas-phase nitrite 40-ktpa of EMC derived from DMC.
DMC and EMC are key compo- process, which features lower energy The plant is scheduled for completion
nents of the electrolyte solvent for consumption, higher quality, and fewer in July 2026 and will begin operation in
lithium-ion batteries. DMC is also by-products and impurities compared November of the same year.
INORGANIC GROWTH
Sumitomo Chemical acquires LCP neat resin business

asset from Syensqo

Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical has In recent years, LCP has garnered LCP development pipeline and produc-
acquired the asset of a liquid crystal attention as a material for such things tion technology, Sumitomo Chemical
polymer (LCP) neat resin business from as power devices to meet increased expects to expand its product lineup,
Belgian firm, Syensqo, spun off from electrical demand and the shift to EVs, not only in the ICT and mobility fields,
Solvay. LCP is a super engineering plastic next-generation millimetre-wave ra- but also across a wide range of appli-
known for its excellent heat resistance, dar for autonomous driving, and high- cations. Sumitomo Chemical will con-
fluidity, and dimensional accuracy. It capacity connectors for data centres. tinue to position the LCP business in
is used in various applications, includ- From this, the LCP market is expected which growth is anticipated as one of
ing electronic components for PCs and to achieve further growth. the company’s key businesses, and will
smartphones. Sumitomo Chemical has expand it through such options as vari-
been expanding its LCP business by The LCP neat resin product techno- ous partnerships with other companies.
leveraging its technical strengths in the logy Sumitomo Chemical has acquired Through this, Sumitomo Chemical
R&D of polymer materials and their from Syensqo is known for its high aims to double the current sales revenue
applications to meet market needs. heat resistance. By utilising Syensqo’s of the business by the early 2030s.

162 Chemical Weekly March 4, 2025

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