Chemicals
Businesses ranging from basic chemicals to functional materials and consumables are based on Asahi Kasei’s core chemical technology. While further expanding our global-leading businesses, we provide high value-added products that meet emerging needs. Our petrochemicals business includes a jointly operated naphtha cracker in Mizushima; our performance materials business includes a wide variety of functional products from chemicals to electronic materials; our performance polymers business includes highly competitive automotive materials such as engineering plastics and synthetic rubber for fuel-efficient tires; our consumables business includes familiar products used in everyday life.
Petrochemicals
Petrochemicals operations centered on a naphtha cracker form the cornerstone of our chemicals business. The roots of this business trace to 1923, with ammonia synthesis by the Casale process. Products that support a diverse range of industries now include caustic soda and chlorine as well as acrylonitrile (AN), styrene, methyl methacrylate, adipic acid, polyethylene, and polystyrene.
Performance Materials
Performance materials include many high-value added products such as coating materials to meet diverse needs in the automotive and electronics industries; functional additives for pharmaceuticals, foods, and personal care products; membrane filtration systems for drinking water and wastewater treatment; ion-exchange membranes and systems used for chlor-alkali production worldwide; and explosives and explosion-bonded metal clad. Our environmentally friendly high-function products such as membranes and films created through a combination of chemical technology with expertise in electronics enable people around the world to enjoy a rich and healthy life.
Performance Polymers
Our performance polymers business globally supplies the four resin families of polymide 66 (PA66), polyacetal (POM), modified polyphenylene ether (m-PPE), and the styrenics acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN)—with manufacturing bases in Japan, Asia, Europe, and the US. This business also includes solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR) for fuel-efficient tires, and thermoplastic elastomers used as resin modifier, for adhesives, and for medical fluid bags.
Consumables
Consumables range from familiar household products such as Saran Wrap™ cling film, Ziploc™ bags and containers, and Frosch™ dish detergent, to industrial products such as packaging films and cleaning agents that help make life more comfortable and refined.