A High-Performance Polyvinyl Chloride Powder-Slush Compound

－Full-Scale Mass Production and Sales for Automotive Manufacturers Begins－

KANEKA CORPORATION
April 20, 2023

Tatsuta Chemical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Hiroyuki Taniguchi), an affiliate company of Kaneka Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Minoru Tanaka), has developed a high-performance polyvinyl chloride powder-slush compound (hereinafter “PSC”) that is used in automobile interior materials. The PSC has been adopted by Japanese automobile manufacturers since fiscal year 2022, and full-scale mass production and sales have begun.

There has been demand for excellent design, good texture, and high durability for automobile interior materials, especially instrument panels due to a high quality and luxury trend in recent years. The PSC for automotive interior materials is molded by the powder-slush process*¹ and has equal heat resistance to existing urethane-based surface materials*² while maintaining a soft and smooth texture. The fact that vinyl chloride is a resource-saving and recyclable material which can help reduce CO2 emissions has also led to it being adopted by a major Japanese automobile manufacturer.

We will expand our PSC business to global markets including Europe and the U.S. by responding appropriately to the demands of automobile manufacturers who use high-end interior materials.
Through these efforts, we will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society by reducing CO2 emissions and promoting resource recycling throughout the automotive industry.

*1. A molding method in which powder resin is deposited on a heated mold. It is capable of molding complex shapes suited to realize good design quality.
*2. Tatsuta Chemical has succeeded in developing seamless airbags and improving durability performance by combining its high-performance technology cultivated through PSC related know-how and instrument panel surface materials with Kaneka's vinyl chloride-related resin technology.