Japanese Chemical Market Analysis shows that the industry took a major hit in March 2019. Japanese company C&EN developed chemical market research reports based on the downfall of the market. Before the pandemic, the Japanese companies observed slow sales in the automobile sector. This led to the reduced prices for petrochemicals. Additionally, the country’s business alliance with China was disrupted owing to the U.S-China Trade war. According to the market database, the company Tejin which specializes in fiber manufacturing reported a 44% decline in profits due to a 4% trade loss. Mitsubishi Chemical experienced a 68% decline in earnings and a 7% drop in sales. This economic slump was majorly due to the declining petrochemical prices. The company closed its polypropylene production facility in an effort to improve economic efficiency. Sumitomo Chemical experienced a 74% decline in revenue generation. While Ube Industries experienced a drop in sales by 29% owing to the declining demand for nylon and caprolactam. Mitsubishi Chemical expects the sales and earnings to fall by 15% and 47% respectively during FY 2020.
According to chemical market research reports, Japan’s GDP grew by a value of 1.4% in 2018 and 1.0% in 2019. Industrial production experienced overall growth of 4% in the year 2017. The value persists to stay above 2% for the years 2018 and 2019.
Natural Chelating Agents
According to the market database, natural chelating agents are also known as green chelates. These components are biodegradable materials used for washing and cleaning. They are primarily utilized for the development of Laundry, surface care, detergents, and homecare. A chelate is typically a class of coordinate compounds that consists of a central metal atom attached to a ligand. They are essentially in the form of a cyclic or a ring-like structure.
Conventionally used chelating agents portray certain environmental side effects since they are composed of heavy metals. Some of the synthetically manufactured agents include succimer (dimercaprol), dimercaprol (BAL), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Heavy metals are harmful to both soils as well as water bodies. Hence, natural chelating agents are developed as a substitute for this product. Green chelates are produced via a combination of biotechnological innovations and computational tools.
According to the market database, one of the key applications of these products includes cleaning. This section can be further bifurcated as industrial as well as household cleaning. Green chelates are used for the removal of metal ions in industrial applications. This includes mechanical dishwashing, equipment cleaning, and others.
Japanese Chemical Market Analysis shows that the growing environmental concerns act as a key driver for this market. The stringent environmental preservation laws including water protection guidelines propel the growth of this market. The technology is relatively new, and it offers a huge area for research and exploration.
Key companies:
According to the market database, Nippon Shokubai is one of the major companies based out of Japan that deals in the production of Natural Chelating Agents. The company specializes in the development of optimized catalyst technology. The company has developed superabsorbent polymers. They have also exported intermediate compounds like Ethylene oxide, Acrylic acid, automobile catalyst, and process catalyst for industrial use.
The company developed a biodegradable chelating agent called HIDS. The key application of this product would be as a household cleaner, bleach stabilization, and scale removal and protection. According to the market database, it can be utilized in varieties of industries such as Agriculture, Textile, Paper, and Pulp, etc. HIDS can entrap inactive heavy metal ions like Fe3+ and Cu2+. Magnesium, as well as calcium ions, can also be trapped with the help of this product. HIDS has properties like high thermal stability and low corrosion that make it a superior chelating agent. The product has a high solubility in alkaline solutions and can function effectively at a range of varying temperatures.
