From April 2015, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC, Tokyo / Japan; www.m-kagaku.co.jp) will merge the carbon activities of its subsidiary Mitsubishi Plastics (Tokyo / Japan; www.mpi.co.jp/english) into another group company, Mitsubishi Rayon (MRC, Tokyo / Japan; www.mrc.co.jp). While the former has capacity for 1,000 t/y, the latter can turn out about 10,000 t/y. The holding expects the merger to add strength to its carbon fibre and composites portfolio in high tech applications and improve its position in competition with Japanese rivals Toray (Tokyo; www.toray.com) and Teijin (Tokyo; www.teijin.com).

Specifically, the plans foresee the carbon fibre activities of Mitsubishi Plastics, which include highly heat-resistant fibres for satellites and industrial robots, to be integrated into Mitsubishi Rayon, a specialist in high tenacity products for automotive and aeronautics applications. The merged business will be able to leverage the know-how of both predecessors’ R&D departments and should help the holding utilise the resources of the plastics arm, which possesses expertise that rivals are believed to lack.

In cooperation with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (Yokosuka; www.jamstec.go.jp/e), Mitsubishi Plastics is currently developing special pipes to pump petroleum, rare earths and other resources from the sea floor. The new pipes are intended to combine two types of carbon fibres and facilitate the manufacture of lighter products. These should support the Japanese government’s attempts to take samples of resources in sea beds at least 4,000 metres below the ocean surface. Up to now, the strength of the pipes has been a problem.

In aerospace applications, the Japanese group hopes to break the stronghold of Toray and Teijin. Mitsubishi is seen to lag the first two players, which already have close ties to aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus. Together, the three Japanese groups control an estimated 70% of the carbon fibre market, but Korean players with improved technological capability are said to be catching up. In 2013, Samsung Petrochemical (Seoul / South Korea; www.myspc.co.kr/english/index.asp) agreed on a marketing cooperation – headquartered in Seoul – with German carbon fibres specialist SGL Group (Wiesbaden; www.sglgroup.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 26.06.2013.