A look at recent highlights and performance of Kuraray’s research and development
Innovation Case Studies
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- VECSTAR™ (Liquid Crystal Polymer Film)
- Demand is increasing for high-speed signal transmission through high-frequency waves, such as in-vehicle millimeter-wave radar and 5G antennas. In connection with this, the sales volume of VECSTAR™ increased due to its reputation for low transmission loss in the high-frequency range and excellent workability as a flexible printed circuit board. We expect this trend to continue accelerating, and we will proactively pursue business expansion in this area.
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- Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) Pads for Semiconductors
- Polishing pads for semiconductors are made of high-hardness polyurethane, a new material developed by leveraging our polyurethane design and manufacturing technologies cultivated through the development of man-made leather CLARINO™. Kuraray’s CMP pads feature excellent properties for polishing and planarizing devices due to their high hardness, very low scratch formation despite such hardness, and long hours of duration due to their excellent abrasion resistance. Multiple customers have verified these features in their manufacturing processes. In addition, we have created a business environment in which we can select and propose pads with appropriate hardness that suit customers’ requests and allow them to choose suitable pads for their manufacturing processes. In the future, we plan to create a business environment that enables our CMP pads to handle both the advanced processes and existing processes of customers as we look to expand sales to overseas markets.
Awards and Accolades
| 2013 | Development and commercialization of heat-resistant polyamide 9T GENESTAR™ (The Society of Polymer Science, Japan, Technology Award) |
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| 2010 | Commercialization of man-made leather CLARINO™, an environmentally friendly and non-solvent product (The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan, Technology Award) |
| 2004 | Development and application of nonanediamine production catalyst for novel heat-resistant polyamide (The Catalysis Society of Japan, Technology Award) |
| 1999 | Development and commercialization of KURALON K-Ⅱ™, a new PVA fiber (The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan, Technology Award) |
| 1997 | Development of disperse-dyeable rayon filament (The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan, Technology Award) |
| 1994 | Development of water-soluble polymer-isocyanate adhesive (The Chemical Society of Japan, Chemical Technology Award) |
| 1991 | Development of new manufacturing method for n-octanol and glycols using a precious-metal complex catalyst (The Chemical Society of Japan, Chemical Technology Award) |
| 1987 | Establishment of pathogen adsorption therapy for myasthenia gravis (The Japan Society for Artificial Organs, President’s Award) |
| 1984 | Development of dialysis machine using hollow fiber membrane (The Chemical Society of Japan, Chemical Technology Award) |
| 1983 | Research into and commercialization of dental filling material using adhesive polymer (The Society of Polymer Science, Japan, Technology Award) |
| 1981 | Development of ultra microcrater fiber CLAVELLA SN-2000™ (The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan, Technology Award) |
| 1981 | Establishment and commercialization of terpene manufacturing method using isoprene as a raw material (The Chemical Society of Japan, Chemical Technology Award) |
| 1975 | Research into and commercialization of gas barrier resin EVAL™ (The Society of Polymer Science, Japan, Technology Award) |
| 1973 | Research into and commercialization of man-made leather CLARINO™ (The Society of Polymer Science, Japan, Technology Award) |
| 1972 | Establishment of manufacturing technology for man-made leather (The Chemical Society of Japan, Chemical Technology Award) |
| 1951 | Research into and establishment of PVA fiber (KURALON™) manufacturing technology (The Chemical Society of Japan, Chemical Technology Award) |
