Mitsui starts synthetic fluid output at new plant in Japan

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. said it has started commercial production at a new plant to produce LUCANT™, a series of hydrocarbon-based synthetic fluid, at its Ichihara Works in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, since April.

Production at this new plant, on top of an existing plant at Iwakuni-Ohtake Works, will allow Mitsui Chemicals to “comfortably keep up” with the strong global demand for this synthetic fluid, the company said.

The company added that by moving to a two-base system spread across Iwakuni-Ohtake Works and Ichihara Works, Mitsui Chemicals aims to bolster its business continuity planning for LUCANT™.

Mitsui Chemicals’ LUCANT™ is a high-performance hydrocarbon-based synthetic oil – the world’s first such product to be offered commercially. In addition to its viscosity being largely resistant to temperature changes, the synthetic fluid has excellent shear stability and thermochemical stability.

These characteristics see LUCANT™ finding use as a viscosity modifier in lubricant applications that require very high quality – such as gear oil for automotive drivelines, as well as industrial lubricants and greases. The product has been approved for use by prominent automakers and lubricant manufacturers, according to Mitsui.

Mitsui Chemicals has a strategic partnership with The Lubrizol Corporation, a major global producer of lubricant additive packages, based in Wickliffe, Ohio, U.S.A. Going forward, both Mitsui Chemicals and Lubrizol intend to further expand and grow the LUCANT™ business in the lubricant market.

Further, as its own independent initiative, Mitsui Chemicals intends to tackle market development and application development for the expanded use of LUCANT™ as a functional liquid polymer, including applications as a modifier for elastomers and engineering plastics.