Sumitomo Chemical to begin mass production of ultra

August 28, 2023 | By Mary Bailey

Sumitomo Chemical Co. (Tokyo, Japan) has achieved success in pioneering a new production technology for ultra-fine α-alumina, set to start mass production from September this year with its recently established manufacturing capabilities at its Ehime Works in Japan. Collaborating with its customers, the Company will create new markets in the ICT, energy-saving and life science fields through technological innovations in inorganic materials. In FY2025 the company seeks to achieve a 30% increase in sales revenue in its ultrahigh purity alumina business compared to FY2023.

Alumina materials made by calcining aluminum hydroxide at high temperatures, purity levels of 99.99% or more are called ultrahigh purity alumina. The new products to be mass-produced are marketed as NXA Series products, which are ultra-fine grade of α-alumina products mainly used in industrial products. They are characterized by homogeneous ultra-fine particles with a particle size of 150 nm (0.15 μm) or less. In comparison to its products with relatively large particle sizes, this is approximately one two-hundredth of the size of the Company’s products having relatively large particle sizes.

NXA Series ultra-fine alumina (Source: Sumitomo Chemical)

Sumitomo Chemical alumina products have been used in a wide range of applications, including energy-related sectors, such as in lithium-ion battery separators, as well as in the ICT sector, mainly for LED substrates and semiconductor thermal materials. With ultrafine particles and easy to sinter characteristics, the new grades are expected to be used as polishing agents for next-generation semiconductors, as well as in such cutting-edge areas as components for semiconductor manufacturing equipment requiring high strength and chemical resistance and in new fields requiring both high strength and aesthetic qualities, such as artificial joints and dental products in the life sciences field.

Sumitomo Chemical will continue to expand its business in this field by driving technological inorganic innovation and providing timely solutions to its customers.