Mitsui Chemicals to Acquire SUNVIEO™ Business From Asahi Kasei
2017.11.13
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo: 4183; President & CEO: Tsutomu Tannowa) announced today that it plans to acquire Asahi Kasei Corp.’s business for SUNVIEO™ thermoplastic styrene elastomer (TPS) on Dec. 1, 2017.
Used primarily in the automotive industry, thermoplastic elastomers are being met with growing global demand as a replacement for polyvinyl chloride and vulcanized rubber. Mitsui Chemicals has so far supplied its MILASTOMER™ thermoplastic elastomer for a growing range of automotive applications.
The company’s thermoplastic vulcanizate elastomer (TPV) has seen use in automotive interior skin, weather strips, steering gear boots and more. Meanwhile, its thermoplastic olefin elastomer (TPO) has been used for parts such as airbag covers.
In acquiring Asahi Kasei’s SUNVIEO™ business, Mitsui Chemicals will add TPS to its lineup. This will allow the company to respond to a wider range of needs across numerous areas, including automotive parts and consumer products. Mitsui Chemicals also expects that it will be able to use the acquired technology to further differentiate its existing MILASTOMER™ lineup from the competition.
Overview of MILASTOMER™ and SUNVIEO™ businesses
| MILASTOMER™ business | SUNVIEO™ business | |
|---|---|---|
| Products | TPV, TPO | TPS |
| Production capacity | 45,000 metric tons/year (TPV) | Not disclosed |
| Main applications | Automotive interior skin, weather strips, steering gear boots, airbag covers, etc. | Automotive parts, household goods, etc. |
| Production bases | Japan, China, Germany, Thailand, etc. | Japan, China |
Mitsui Chemicals has identified its Mobility Business Sector alongside Health Care and Food & Packaging as a growth area to actively expand operations. As a core part of Mitsui Chemicals’ Mobility Business Sector, the MILASTOMER™ business is the subject of company plans for active business growth. Mitsui Chemicals intends to use this upcoming acquisition as an opportunity to further grow its MILASTOMER™ business and continue to accurately take hold of globally rising demand as the company pursues additional business expansion.