Kuraray Co., Ltd (株式会社クラレ, Kabushiki-gaisha Kurare) 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). As of June 2007, Kuraray was the sole worldwide producer of Vectran liquid crystal polymer (LCP) fibre.
The company is listed in the first section of Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a member of the Nikkei 225 stock market index.
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 (nonwoven fabric of Sophista composite fiber, see below)
- Genestar
- MOWIOL
- MOWIFLEX
- MOWITAL / PIOLOFORM
- KURARAY POVAL
- Septon
- Sophista (fiber: polyester core, ethylene vinyl alcohol-coated)
- Vectran
- Butacite® / TROSIFOL brand polyvinyl butyral
Gallery
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Kuraray's Osaka head office in the Umeda Hankyu Building Office Tower -
The company's Tokyo head office in the Ote Center Building -
High performance rope with cover made from Vectran -
Kuraray's Septon 4055 under atomic force microscope
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.
