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[August 2000]
Tosoh boosts Zirconia Powder production capacity
Tosoh Corporation, an international chemical company, has announced an estimated 2 billion Yen plan to boost the production capacity of its high purity zirconia powders from 370 tons to 620 tons per year. With this move, Tosoh intends to meet escalating world-wide demand for zirconia ferrules used in fibre optical connectors and the company also aims to increase its global market share.
Construction of the new plant - capable of producing 250 tons per year - is almost finished at the Nanyo Manufacturing complex in Yamaguchi Prefecture (Japan), with completion scheduled for August 2000.
Zirconia powders, which are processed by forming and sintering into advanced ceramic shapes featuring higher strength and abrasion resistance when compared to other ceramics, have wide application possibilities for optical fibre connector parts and grinding media. In addition to partially stabilised zirconia powders, Tosoh's Advanced Ceramics Department offers, says the company, the highest quality product line-up, including zirconia ceramics and grinding media that offer the user ultra high grinding efficiency without product contamination.
Tosoh's Advanced Ceramics Department is a key business line in the Speciality Materials Division, a producer of product lines such as electrolytic manganese dioxide, sputtering targets, chloroprene rubber and engineering plastics. Tosoh states that it will continue to expand its overseas operations of this core business in the strategic Speciality Group, which also includes Fine Chemicals, Scientific Instruments, Optical Media and Quartz divisions.
ENDS