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Sojitz Acquires US-based Petrochemical Manufacturer

Expansion of its chemicals business through aggressive business investment

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Jul. 8, 2008
Sojitz Corporation

Sojitz Corporation has acquired US-based petrochemical manufacturer Cymetech, LLC (Head office: Kentucky, US), a producer of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), and has made the company a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sojitz. Demand is expanding for DCPD as an ingredient of high-performance resins and synthetic rubber. Cymetech, which produces DCPD by applying its own unique technology, boasts an annual production capacity of 25,000 tons. The company will further enhance its facilities to expand business.

Sojitz positions, as one of its core business areas, the effective use of C5 fraction (a petrochemical facility coproduct) generated from naphtha cracking, and the acquisition of Cymetech is intended to contribute to the use of such coproduct. Sojitz will, through aggressive investments, expand its chemicals business in Asia and Europe.

Demand is increasing for the DCPD manufactured by Cymetech, with the product being be used as an ingredient for liquid crystal films for LCD television and cellular phone displays, for optical lenses for digital cameras, and as an ingredient for the synthetic rubber used for radiator hoses, windshield wipers and window frames for automobiles. DCPD is being evaluated, particularly for use in digital equipment, for its excellent optical characteristics and high heat resistance. The market is expanding at an annual rate of over 20 percent. DCPD will be marketed by utilizing the Sojitz network, targeting users in fast-growing areas not only in the US but also abroad.

DCPD is also an ingredient for Metton liquid modeling resin (LMR), which is manufactured and sold by Sojitz subsidiary Metton America Inc. (Head office: Houston, Texas), and synergistic effects are expected between the two companies. In addition to the US and Europe, Sojitz aims at expanding its chemicals business in the Asian market, which market is enjoying remarkable economic growth.

Main Applications of DCPD

  Main applications
Cycloolefin Copolymer Films (LCD televisions)
Lenses (DVDs, cellular phones, cameras)
Electronic devices
Food packaging
Synthetic rubber Automobile parts (radiator hoses, windshield wipers)
Wires and cables
Metton liquid modeling resin (LMR) Truck parts (hoods, hood wind deflectors, bumpers)
Construction machinery
Farm machinery (bodies)

(*) Outline of Cymetech LLC

Sojitz acquired Cymetech LLC, after which the company name was changed to Cymetech Corporation.

Company Name

Cymetech Corporation

Representative

Koji Ito

Head office

Houston, Texas

Capital

US$20 million (Sojitz: 80%; Sojitz Corporation of America: 20%)

Production Base

Calvert City, Kentucky

 

 

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