Denka expanding carbon black capacity

Rubber & Plastics News report (PR)

Akron, Ohio — Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha is preparing for further growth of its carbon black business with the addition of a new plant in Chiba, Japan.

More commonly known as Denka Corp., the chemicals manufacturer began constructing the facility earlier this year and aims to complete the project in spring of 2015, according to Ryuji Endo, sales manager at the firm's New York office.

Expected to span about 40,000 square feet, the plant's employment figures were not available when Endo discussed the project at the International Tire Exhibition & Conference in Akron.

“We needed to expand our production capacity to meet the growing demand for Denka Black,” he said, especially in the high voltage power cable and lithium ion battery markets. Some of that demand has been spurred by recent growth of electric and hybrid vehicles, he said.

Headquartered in Tokyo, the company has made substantial gains in the market and has been expanding its customer base, which created the need for the new plant, he said. The 99-year-old company operates several facilities in Japan, two plants in Singapore and a factory in China.

Denka makes chemicals for a wide range of industries, said Neil Schaaf, sales and marketing assistant manager at the New York office.

He said the company is a global leader in the production of acetylene black, used in tire bladders, and polychloroprene.

Denka Black, an acetylene black, will be produced at the new plant in Chiba, Endo said.

The facility is being built near an existing Denka factory that makes petrochemical products, including synthetic resins.