UBE Corp. (Tokyo) announced that it has invested in CheomdanLab Inc. (Gwangju, South Korea), a South Korean startup that develops and manufactures silicon nitride (Si3N4) powder and ceramic balls.
CheomdanLab possesses the sintered-after-reaction-bonded silicon nitride (SRBSN) technology that recycles and upcycles silicon waste generated in semiconductor and other industries to produce silicon nitride with low energy and at low cost. Silicon nitride ceramic balls are widely used in such fields as electric vehicles, energy, and machine tools, where high reliability is required in high-speed rotation and high-temperature environments, and demand for these products is expected to continue growing in the future. Especially in the electric vehicle sector, the adoption of silicon nitride bearings is expanding as they help prevent electrical corrosion, which has become a major driver of increasing demand.
Under its research and development policy of “establishing technologies that are the source of competitive advantage through open innovation,” UBE is working to create new specialty businesses. CheomdanLab’s technology to manufacture silicon nitride through recycling/upcycling silicon waste, which is aimed at social implementation, will contribute to creating a sustainable supply chain for advanced materials. Through this investment, UBE will support CheomdanLab’s mass production technology development and commercialization, aiming for the growth of both companies and the establishment and development of their business foundations. UBE also recently announced an investment in a U.K.-based startup focused on carbon capture technology.