Environmental Environmentally friendly products and technologies

Overview

Products and technologies that eliminate or mitigate environmental burdens in the supply chain are evaluated by the UBE Group along the UBE Guidelines, which were formulated based on the 2015 revisions to ISO 14001. Products and technologies that meet these standards are recognized internally as environmentally friendly.

We promote the development of environmentally friendly products and technologies and strive to provide them to an ever greater number of customers in line with efforts to contribute to the carbon neutrality of the UBE Group as well as throughout society. To this end, we have set a target of having environmentally friendly products and technologies comprise 60% or more of our net sales by fiscal 2030.

Products and technologies that contribute to carbon neutrality (CN) and a circular economy (CE) are included among our environmentally friendly offerings, and products with particularly exceptional capabilities are recognized under the environmentally friendly brand U-BE-INFINITY®.

  • Diagram of environmentally friendly products and technologies, products that contribute to CN and CE, and our environmentally friendly brand
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  • Trends in the UBE Group’s consolidated net sales of environmentally friendly products and technologies*1
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    • *1Excluding cement-related business transferred to Mitsubishi UBE Cement Corporation.
Timeline for generating more than 60% of consolidated net sales from environmentally friendly products and technologies by fiscal 2030
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Main environmentally friendly products and technologies

The UBE Group's Main Environmentally Friendly Products

  • Polyimide

    Polyimide, which are highly resistant to heat, chemicals, etc., are utilized in a variety of electrical appliances and other products.

    Reason for selection
    • Chip On Film (COF) for use in TVs: Helps reduce energy consumption.
    • Flexible solar cell film/Anode binder for lithium-ion batteries/Biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA) for insulation in EV motors: Contributes to reducing CO2 emissions.
    • Water-based polyimide varnish (organic solvent-free): Contributes to reducing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

  • Separation membranes

    Gas separation membranes containing polyimide hollow fibers enable the efficient separation of specific gases from mixtures, contributing to the transition from fossil fuels and reducing usage amounts.

    Reason for selection
    • CO2 separation membranes: Removes CO2 from biogas (methane)
    • Dehydration membranes: Removes water from bioethanol
    • Hydrogen membranes: Various uses including in hydrogen purification and the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and biodiesels.

  • Ceramics

    UBE’s silicon nitride powder is a high-quality powder manufactured through an original Imide-decomposition process. It provides the required material characteristics and enables reliable microstructure control, ensuring strong sintered performance.

    Reason for selection
    • Bearing applications: Used in bearings for renewable energy wind turbines and EV motors.
    • Substrate applications: Serves as the substrate material for inverter modules in EVs, contributing to the expansion of EV adoption.
    • Phosphor applications: Used in LED lighting phosphors, helping reduce energy consumption.

  • Separators

    Separators from Ube Maxell are made using a microporous polyolefin film that features uniformly distributed microporous structures produced through a dry manufacturing process. A main component in the creation of lithium-ion batteries, such films have been extensively developed for diverse applications in wide-ranging fields over many years.

    Reason for selection
    • Used in next-generation vehicles (e.g. HEVs, BEVs) and energy storage systems for power stations to contribute to mitigating fossil fuel resource usage and CO2 emissions

  • High-performance coatings

    UBE's high-performance coating products, which boast superior durability and environmental performance, include polycarbonate diols (PCDs), polyurethane dispersions (PUDs), and oxetanes.

    Reason for selection
    • PCDs: Highly durable materials used in polyurethane, helping to extend the lifespan of polyurethane products.
    • PUDs: Water-based polyurethane coating materials that offer environmentally friendly and low-VOC features. New PUD grades without pyrrolidone or tin help reduce harmful substances in products.
    • Oxetanes: Offer lower toxicity compared to epoxy and acrylic compounds. Suitable for solvent-free curing systems, eliminating the need for organic solvents that generate VOCs, and reducing energy consumption during curing processes.

  • C1 chemicals

    These chemicals are components of the electrolyte solvents used in the lithium-ion batteries installed in BEVs and PHEVs.

    Reason for selection
    • Contributes to reducing fossil fuel usage and CO2 emissions through its use as a raw material for lithium-ion battery electrolytes in BEVs and PHEVs

  • Elastomers

    UBE's Elastomers Business produces and sells butadiene rubber (BR), a typical synthetic rubber. These products include high-cis BR synthesized using a cobalt catalyst.

    Reason for selection
    • Used in vehicle tires to reduce fuel consumption, contributing to lower resource usage.

  • Nylon composites

    We leverage the special characteristics of nylon to provide high-performance resins that meet diverse customer needs. We actively pursue the development of composite products that utilize biomass, recycled materials, etc. as part of our commitment to sustainability.

    Reason for selection
    • The development of resin products for use in EV vehicle parts enables weight reductions and contributes to reduced CO2 emissions.
    • Furthermore, the widespread use of composites made with raw materials derived from plants, recycled materials, etc. contributes to the realization of a circular economy and to countermeasures against global warming.
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“U-BE-INFINITY®” Environmentally Friendly Brand

U-BE-INFINITY logo

In April 2024, the UBE Group launched "U-BE-INFINITY®," an environmentally friendly brand. UBE Group products and technologies designed to contribute to the environment that are deemed to have outstanding environmental performance are granted this brand, with the goal of enhancing their added value.

The brand name is intended to express our aspiration to realize infinite social development together with our stakeholders. In addition, the brand's logo uses diverse colors to represent our determination to never being content with the status quo and continuously evolve in order to help resolve global environmental issues.

The "U-BE-INFINITY®" brand thus encompasses products and technologies capable of contributing to carbon neutrality by reducing GHG emissions as well as a number that employ reused and biomass materials to help save resources or make recycling easier.

Standards for certifying products under this brand: Objectivity and environmental friendliness

Among the environmentally friendly products and technologies certified under the UBE Guidelines, which were created based on the 2015 revisions to ISO14001, this environmentally friendly brand is used only for products and technologies that have passed objective evaluations and quantitative evaluations based on standards for environmental friendliness.

Reviews and certifications are done under the UBE Group's Environmental Issues Committee (an organizational body subordinate to the Strategic Management Meetings), which comprehends and formulates countermeasures regarding global environmental issues. Mizuho Research & Technologies, Ltd. participates as an outside advisor to ensure transparency.

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Certified Product and Developed Product

Product

ISCC PLUS Certified
ISCC PLUS-certified biocircular caprolactam

ISCC PLUS-certified caprolactam products made using raw materials such as biomass under the mass balance method
ISCC PLUS Certified Polybutadiene

ISCC PLUS certified polybutadiene products allocated raw materials derived from biomass or recycled sources under ISCC Mass Balance Approach

UBE Elastomer Co. Ltd., Chiba Factory, THAI SYNTHETIC RUBBERS COMPANY LIMITED, Rayong Factory
Recycled composite
Recycled composite nylon products
  • DINALON®A2X25- MI H-4109 (polyamide 66)
  • B2E25 G20DI-4115 (polyamide 6)

Recycled composite nylon products using recycled materials certified under AENOR

Product under Development

Biomass-composite
Bio-composite “Torrecot™”

A composite that boasts a high content of wood biomass, which helps reduce CO2 emissions, and serves as an alternative for fossil-derived materials
Biomass-based Nylon Composite

Composite material based on biomass-based Nylon which is a low CO2 emission
Recycled-composite
Recycled Carbon Fiber Reinforced Nylon

Nylon Composite Using Material-Recycled Carbon Fiber as Raw Material

EPISODE

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Younger staff from diverse departments, including some in Europe, make up the core of this group, which holds discussions that transcend business, occupational, and national boundaries on what UBE should do in response to global environmental issues.

We foresaw difficulties in reflecting internal opinions on the logo’s design and certification standards when planning methods for running this certification program, but this brand has come to embody UBE’s ideals and wishes for the future.