DIC Corp. (Tokyo) announced plans to build a new epoxy resins production facility at its Chiba Plant, located in the city of Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture. The investment plan has been approved as a “plan for ensuring stable supply” by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) under Japan’s Act on the Promotion of Ensuring National Security through Integrated Implementation of Economic Measures, as a result of which DIC is expected to receive a subsidy of up to ¥3 billion. The plant is expected to start operations in July 2029, and it will increase DIC’s annual production capacity for epoxy resins used for semiconductors by around 60%.
Epoxy resins are highly reactive thermosetting synthetic resins that boast exceptional moldability, heat resistance, electrical insulating properties and adhesiveness, and which are used in a wide range of industries. DIC began producing and selling epoxy resins in 1968 and has since provided cutting-edge products to customers in the electronics industry by leveraging its polymer design–based development configuration—which encompasses everything from the raw materials through to finished products—as well as its mass-production capabilities cultivated over many years in business. In particular, the Company’s epoxy resins have become indispensable to the fabrication of semiconductors that impart the excellent heat resistance, improved dimensional stability and reduced transmission loss necessary to accommodate increasingly high-speed, high-capacity communications technologies. With demand for semiconductors expanding, ensuring a stable supply of these resins is now of paramount concern.
The Chiba Plant’s existing epoxy resins production facility does not currently have sufficient supply capacity to meet the expected increase in demand going forward. Accordingly, by constructing a new facility adjacent to the existing one, DIC aims to secure additional production capacity for epoxy resins over the medium to long term, and to introduce new production processes that will deliver quality and improved productivity.