Toray Industries and Idemitsu Kosan are teaming up to produce biomass-derived styrenic resin, while Toray is adding capacity for PPS engineering resin.

February 8, 2023

2 Min Read
plastic resin
Image courtesy of Toray Industries

Japan’s Toray Industries and Idemitsu Kosan plan to develop a supply chain for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resin based on biomass styrene monomer derived from biomass naphtha. Idemitsu will leverage the mass balance method to manufacture biomass styrene monomer that will be fed to Toray’s Chiba plant for polymerization of biomass-derived ABS resin starting in October this year. Both Idemitsu and Toray are striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Toray’s ABS resin is used in a variety of industries such as automotive, consumer electronics, and medical devices, for which it offers transparent grades.

Toray Advanced Materials Korea Inc. plans to increase annual production capacity for Torelina polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin by 5,000 tonnes at a plant in Gunsan, Korea, from December 2024. The Toray Group’s combined PPS manufacturing capacity at this facility and the Tokai Plant in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, will thereby rise to a world-leading 32,600 tonnes/year.

A concurrent move will be to expand production of sodium hydrogen sulfide, a key raw material for PPS resin. Toray would thereby solidify its position as a cost-competitive, integrated manufacturer of everything from raw materials through resins.

Toray Advanced Materials Korea will supply PPS resin not consumed domestically to Toray Group compounding sites in the United States, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, and other regions as part of an effort to expand its global business.

PPS resin is a high-performance engineering plastic. Key benefits are heat and chemical resistance, mechanical strength, and flame retardance. Applications include electrical components, electric vehicles, electrical and electronic devices, and housing-related parts. Applications continue to broaden. Toray decided to boost capacity at Toray Advanced Materials Korea to cater to a projected 6% growth in annual global demand for PPS resin compounds.

Toray Group is a comprehensive manufacturer of PPS not just for compounds but also for films and fibers. It is the world’s largest player in this field.

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