Kuraray


Kuraray Co., Ltd is a Japanese manufacturer of chemicals, fibers and other materials. Their main manufacturing facilities are located in Kurashiki, Okayama. The company's Tokyo administrative offices are located in Otemachi, Chiyoda in the Ote Center Building and its Osaka offices are located in the Umeda Hankyu Building)., Kuraray was the sole worldwide producer of Vectran liquid crystal polymer fibre.
The company is listed in the first section of Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a member of the Nikkei 225 stock market index.
Kuraray is a member of the Mizuho keiretsu.

History

In April 2015, Kuraray acquired the Australian manufacturer of biobased barrier films Plantic Technologies. In September 2017, Kuraray acquired Calgon Carbon for $1.1 billion, an activated carbon maker based in Pittsburgh. In February 2021, Kuraray signed the global framework of the United Nations Global Compact.

Product Offerings

Various products are described below:
  • Clarino
  • EVAL
  • Felibendy
  • Genestar
  • MOWIOL
  • MOWIFLEX
  • MOWITAL / PIOLOFORM
  • KURARAY POVAL
  • Septon
  • Sophista
  • Vectran
  • Butacite® / TROSIFOL brand polyvinyl butyral

    Incidents

In May 2018, an explosion occurred in Kuraray's Pasadena plant in the US, injuring 21 workers. The plant is the world's largest ethylene vinyl alcohol plant. Kuraray agreed to pay a total of $92 million in settlement to the affected employees. In September 2019, a plasticizer leaked from Kuraray's plant in Fayetteville to the Cape Fear River, forcing the Brunswick County to stop drawing water from the river.