Performance Materials Business Unit

Business fields

Material Solution: Ensuring the stable global supply of materials while providing solutions through a wide range of material and technology options; Synthetic polymers and rubbers (including recycled biomaterials), inorganic chemicals, rare resources, industrial gases, cosmetic materials and, petroleum- and oleochemical-derived products etc.
Electronics: Capturing changes in the global supply chain, building business portfolios, and promoting the development of solutions that address customer needs and societal challenges.; Electronic materials (including semiconductor & substrate materials, display materials, battery materials), EMS related businesses, etc.
Natural Capital: Developing multifaceted businesses across the entire forest value chain, from upstream to downstream, contributing to a green global environment and the creation of a sustainable society for the future.; Forestry resource businesses (such as biomaterials, GHG emission rights, forest management, and forest fund business), housing materials, etc.

Green Chemical Business (03:29)

Produces chemical raw materials such as fatty acids and glycerin using RSPO-certified palm oil

Major activities

Addressing global issues such as climate change and circular economy

The following four business divisions, each grounded in its respective industry, work in close cooperation with overseas offices and group companies to develop businesses in the three fields outlined above, with the aim of realizing a sustainable society and prosperous lives for people around the world.

Functional Materials Division: Leveraging our global network, the Functional Materials Division is engaged in the trading of synthetic polymers and inorganic chemicals, the manufacturing and sales of functional containers, and operates a comprehensive polymers business portfolio that supports the automotive supply chain, as well as plastic recycling businesses.
Advanced Materials Division: The Advanced Materials Division conducts trading and business investments in materials for semiconductors, printed circuit boards, displays, and batteries that contribute to energy savings and efficiency improvements, in addition to EMS related businesses.
Specialty Chemicals Division: The Specialty Chemicals Division caters to the beauty and personal care market with products that meet diverse consumer needs. We are also responding to the growing market demand for environmentally friendly solutions through our proactive engagement in the green/biochemical businesses utilizing non-petrochemical raw materials.
Living & Environmental Business Division: The Living & Environmental Business Division operates an environment minded forest resource business, as well as engaging in businesses in paper, housing and tire materials, all contributing to the enrichment of people’s daily lives and supporting various industries. As a Business Division, our goal is to bring prosperity to people’s lives, foster the circular economy, and promote the development of a low-carbon society.

Developing businesses across industries in collaboration with diverse strategic partners

The Performance Materials Business Unit creates links between businesses within the chemical industry and also with a variety of adjacent industries. We aim to address societal needs, solve global issues, and create new businesses in a variety of fields, such as mobility, packaging, electronics, beauty and personal care, forestry, and more.

Key projects

Forest resources & afforestation (Australia, Americas), nature-based real asset investment management (Australia)
Developing high-pressure tanks for commercial vehicles and hydrogen transportation (Europe)
Manufacturing and sale of functional food containers in Southeast Asia (Malaysia)
Global development of resin compound businesses for the automotive industry (Americas etc.)
Manufacturing and distribution of raw materials for detergents (linear alkylbenzene) (Thailand)
Planning, design, and manufacture of cosmetics (Americas)
Semiconductor back-end processing business and EMS business (Japan, China)
Mining tire recycling business (Chile)
Sales of synthetic polymers, electronic materials, etc. at Mitsui & Co. Plastics Ltd (Japan) and Mitsui Plastics Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (China)
Sales of paper and packaging materials, resource recycling management at Mitsui Bussan Packaging Co., Ltd. (Japan)

Videos

A stable supply of woodchips beginning with reforestation (02:09)

For stable supply of environmentally friendly materials, strengthen the value chain, from planting, processing and export
Sanitary ware manufacturing business in India (01:51)

Invests in TOTO India. Establishes a business platform for bathroom equipment and develops sales and logistics network