Japan’s Tosoh Corporation has announced its plan to increase the production capacity of its Skyprene chloroprene rubber (CR). The plan will see the company add a second CR production facility at its Nanyo Complex in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to meet growing demand for CR worldwide. The 75 billion yen investment will increase the current capacity of 22,000 tonnes/year, Tosoh added.
Construction is expected to start in 2027 and commercial operations in 2030.
CR is a high-performance functional polymer that serves as a value-added material within Tosoh’s Chemical Chain Business. It is used in a wide variety of applications, including automotive hoses and belts, various industrial components, adhesives, and medical gloves.
The use of this well-balanced specialty synthetic rubber product across so many fields owes itself to excellent oil, weather, and flame resistance, adds the firm.
Tosoh’s plan to increase its CR production capacity not only responds to expected growth in global demand, but also aims to stabilise the supply of CR and improve Tosoh’s profitability through a further expansion of the scale of its operations.