Shipments of BMC Sealed TOYOTA's Hybrid Vehicles On Way To China

TOKYO, Aug, 05 2019 - Showa Denko has started supplying bulk molding compound (BMC) to Toyota Motor Corporation (TOYOTA) as sealing material for generator motors used in TOYOTA COROLLA HYBRID and TOYOTA LEVIN HYBRID recently launched in China. The BMC material, produced by Shanghai Showa Highpolymer Co., Ltd, is being shipped to Toyota Motor (Changshu) Auto Parts Co., Ltd.

SDK's BMC has such characteristics as high heat conductivity, insulation properties, heat resistance, fluidity, dimensional stability and chemical resistance. The material has been used as sealing material for generator motors for hybrid vehicles (HVs), such as TOYOTA's PRIUS. This time, TOYOTA decided to develop and produce electric-vehicle power trains in China on the occasion of the introduction of two new HV models for the Chinese market. In response to this new policy, Shanghai Showa Highpolymer started producing BMC for HVs for the first time since its foundation in 2010, and supplying the material to Toyota Motor (Changshu) Auto Parts. The HV market in China is expected to expand in line with the government's tightening of environmental protection.

There is an increasing need in the world for improving fuel efficiency of cars and reducing exhaust gas as a means to prevent air pollution and cut greenhouse gas emissions. This is encouraging consumers to take a keen interest in ecological cars. The Chinese government introduced this year a new environmental regulation, obliging car makers to produce a certain number of new energy vehicles (NEVs). There is a move to spread the use of HVs as fuel-efficient cars for environmental protection. Thus, the HV market is expected to grow further.

The Showa Denko Group's vision is to make itself a group of "individualized businesses" with profitability and stability maintained at high levels over a long period. Under its medium-term business plan "The TOP 2021," SDK aims to expand its Functional Chemicals business, including BMC, into an "individualized business" by anticipating changes in society/market and providing products/services with high social value.

About Showa Denko K.K.

Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE:4004, ADR:SHWDY), a major manufacturer of chemical products, serves a wide range of fields from heavy industry to electronics and computer industries. The Petrochemicals Sector provides cracker products such as ethylene and propylene, the Chemicals Sector provides industrial, high-performance and high-purity gases and chemicals for semicon and other industries, and the Inorganics Sector provides ceramic products, such as alumina, abrasives, refractory and graphite electrodes and fine carbon products. The Aluminum Sector provides aluminum materials and high-value-added fabricated aluminum, the Electronics Sector provides HD media, compound semiconductors such as ultra high-bright LEDs and rare earth magnetic alloys, and the Advanced Battery Materials Department (ABM) provides lithium-ion battery components. For more information, please visit www.sdk.co.jp/english/.