Teijin

Teijin is endeavouring to restore profitability to its European films operations by investigating productivity improvements and by looking at possible reductions in workforce numbers. 

In 2003, the Teijin Advanced Films Limited joint venture with the Asahi Kasei Corporation was launched using polyparaphenylene terephthalamide to manufacture Aramica. Another Teijin joint venture, with the US Great Lakes Chemical Corporation, has involved the combination of the two companies worldwide brominated carbonate oligomer activities as part of their polymer flame retardant marketing operation. 

Teijin Solufill Limited produces Solufill a high porosity PE engineering film formerly made by a joint venture with DSM whose interests were bought out by Teijin. Solufill is filled with a special ceramic powder. Solufill was formerly used in the manufacture of bulk multilayer ceramic capacitors but in 2005 Teijin decided to withdraw from this application due to weakening electronic component prices and a worsening market environment. However, Solupor, a sister product is being supplied for use as a battery separator. 

Teijin is consolidating its position in the People s Republic of China where its DuPont Teijin Films China Limited and two joint ventures with local parmers are opening large-scale new production facilities in order to meet local demand in this rapidly growing market. 

Investment in Japan resulted in the start-up of a second PC production line dedicated to the manufacture of sheet to be used in diffusion plates or large screen LCD-TV direct-type backlights. PC sheets have higher heat resistance than the PMMA and methacrylic material formerly used. 

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Technora. In 1985, Teijin Ltd. introduced Technora fiber, previously known as HM-50, into the high performance fiber market. Technora is based on the 1 1 copolyterephthalamide of 3,4 -diaminodiphenyl ether and/ -phenylenediamine (8). Technora is a whoUy aromatic copolyamide of PPT, modified with a crankshaft-shaped comonomer, which results in the formation of isotropic solutions that then become anisotropic during the shear alignment during spinning. The polymer is synthesized by the low temperature polymerization of/ -phenylenediamine, 3,4 -diaminophenyl ether, and terephthaloyl chloride in an amide solvent containing a small amount of an alkaU salt. Calcium chloride or lithium chloride is used as the alkaU salt. The solvents used are hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA), A/-methyl-2-pyrrohdinone (NMP), and dimethyl acetamide (DMAc). The stmcture of Technora is as follows ... 

Polyoctenamer trans-ocX.en.e mbber) is manufactured in Europe by Hbls AG at 12,000 t/yr under the trade name Vestenamer. Components for the manufacture of polydicyclopentadiene (PDCPD), a Hquid mol ding resin, are produced by Hercules in the United States (13,600 t/yr), by Teijin in Japan (3000 t/yr), and by Shell in Europe, under the trade name Metton they are also produced by Goodrich in the United States and Japan under the trade name Telene. 

Henkel Rearrangement of Benzoic Acid and Phthalic Anhydride. Henkel technology is based on the conversion of benzenecarboxyhc acids to their potassium salts. The salts are rearranged in the presence of carbon dioxide and a catalyst such as cadmium or zinc oxide to form dipotassium terephthalate, which is converted to terephthahc acid (59—61). Henkel technology is obsolete and is no longer practiced, but it was once commercialized by Teijin Hercules Chemical Co. and Kawasaki Kasei Chemicals Ltd. Both processes foUowed a route starting with oxidation of napthalene to phthahc anhydride. In the Teijin process, the phthaHc anhydride was converted sequentially to monopotassium and then dipotassium o-phthalate by aqueous recycle of monopotassium and dipotassium terephthalate (62). The dipotassium o-phthalate was recovered and isomerized in carbon dioxide at a pressure of 1000—5000 kPa ( 10 50 atm) and at 350—450°C. The product dipotassium terephthalate was dissolved in water and recycled as noted above. Production of monopotassium o-phthalate released terephthahc acid, which was filtered, dried, and stored (63,64). 

Poly(dicyclopentadiene). The development of polydicyclopentadiene [25038-78-2] for reaction injection molding is an area which has generated much interest. The polyDCPD is obtained via metathesis polymerization of high purity (usually greater than 98%) DCPD. Excellent reviews (61—62) of the chemistry and properties of polyDCPD have been pubHshed. The patent Hterature of polyDCPD synthesis, catalysts, modifiers, and appHcations is dominated by Hercules (44 patents) and B. F. Goodrich (43 patents) in the U.S. Other participants are Orkem, SheU, Nippon Zeon, and Teijin. 

Another polyetheramide has been produced by another Japanese company, Teijin, under the designation HM-50. The polymer is obtained by condensing... 

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