Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President Takumi Ubagai) announces that it has determined to establish a new production line for high-barrier PET bottles at its Hiratsuka Plant (Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture). This aims to meet a growing demand for high-barrier PET bottles that are used as containers of wine, sake and other alcoholic beverages as well as cooking oils and seasoning agents. The new production line is expected to begin operation by November 2013, which will more than double the production capacity. The Company will be investing approximately one billion yen in this expansion project.

High-barrier PET bottles developed by Mitsubishi Plastics are based on the diamond-like carbon (DLC) technology*. Compared to general PET bottles, high-barrier PET bottles have excellent gas barrier properties, especially a barrier to oxygen, which can keep the quality of the bottle content from deteriorating. In addition, the bottles are lightweight, easy to carry around, and relatively durable compared to glass bottles, eliminating concerns of breakage even if dropped during the distribution stage, at stores, or in some other situation. These superior characteristics have been highly appreciated by major wine and sake manufacturers, and employed as alternatives for glass bottles and cartons. The demand for high-barrier PET bottles is expected to increase further, given the strong sales of wines and sake in PET bottles and more diversified applications of these bottles. It is also expected that the demand for high-barrier PET bottles will grow in the areas of non-alcoholic beverages such as cooking oils, seasonings, dressings, etc. as well as for pill and tablet containers such as supplements and medicines, taking advantage of excellent water vapor barrier properties.

In order to meet such a strong demand of high-barrier PET bottles, Mitsubishi Plastics determined to expand its production line for these bottles by investing approximately one billion yen. Currently the production of high-barrier PET bottles is conducted at the Azai Plant (Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture). The Company has chosen the Hiratsuka Plant to set up a new production line, taking into account that it has a number of major clients in eastern Japan and has been developing PET Bottle technologies at the plant. It is also possible to make effective use of land and buildings within the premises of the plant along with its business restructuring. By setting up a new production line within the Hiratsuka Plant in eastern Japan in addition to the Azai Plant in western Japan, the Company will secure a stable supply system covering throughout Japan.

Positioning high-barrier PET bottles as a core product of its container business, Mitsubishi Plastics plans to enhance its R&D and marketing and actively explore the demand for the bottles in various industries. It will also consider further expansion of production capacity according to the increase in demand while focusing on the market trend of PET bottles.

※This is a technology to deposit a thin carbon film on the inner wall of the PET bottle by placing the bottle in a vacuum, filling it with acetylene gas, and generating a plasma, which dramatically increases the ability of the wall to prevent permeation of gases such as oxygen. Compared to regular PET bottles, treated ones are 10 times better at preventing oxygen permeation, 7 times better at preventing carbon gas permeation, and 5 times better at preventing water vapor permeation. Other companies such as Kirin Brewery Company hold patents for this same technology.

 

Photo: High-barrier PET bottles

 

 

The product is designed to offer domestic customers in principle: there will be a need for various procedures for confirmation in the case of export.

For further information please contact:
Public Relations and Investor Relations office,
Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation.
TEL: +81-3-6748-7140