Sumitomo Chemical to Expand Liquid Crystal Polymers Production

10-19-2007: Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. has announced that it will expand neat resin production capacity for its liquid crystal polymer (LCP below), Sumikasuper LCP, from an annual 7,000 tons to 9,200 tons and will also build a new facility in China for the production of LCP compounds.

According to the company, LCP is a super engineering plastic that exhibits excellent heat resistance and thin-wall flowability, and these characteristics are used to advantage in various electronics components. Among these, demand for Sumikasuper LCP is seeing high growth for connectors used in laptop computers and mobile phones, and with demands for lighter weight and miniaturization, is increasingly replacing plastics that have conventionally been used. In addition, demand is increasing in applications for such electronics components as LCD backlights bobbins and optical pickup bobbins, automotive relays, and laser printer heater holders, and new uses are also increasing for other automotive components and LEDs.

Last year, Sumitomo Chemical expanded production capacity of neat resin for LCP at its Ehime Works, bringing the entire Sumitomo Chemical Group's production capabilities to an annual 7,000 tons. In order to meet the further increase in demand, Group company Taoka Chemical Co., Ltd., which supplies neat resin to Sumitomo Chemical under contract manufacture, will expand its production facility, and Sumika Electronic Materials (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. in China will construct new facilities for the production of neat resin and compounds. Completion of these facilities will bring the Group's capacity for neat resin to 9,200 tons annually, which converts to approximately 14,000 tons of compounds, equivalent to 30% of the projected 2009 global demand (according to Company estimates).