Plants: Moriyama and Nobeoka, Japan
Processes: Spunbond, meltblown
Brand Names: Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Smash, Precise, Semia, PUlshut, Ecorise, NanoLeaf
Major Markets: Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters

In February 2023, Asahi Kasei and Mitsui Chemicals, a fellow leader in the Japanese nonwovens industry, announced a plan to form a new integrated company combining their nonwovens businesses with a tentative start date of October 2, 2023. This plan will be carried out through a corporation-type demerger enabling the establishment of the new integrated company pending the approval of authorities in Japan and Thailand, where the two companies have operations.

Under the proposed plan, Asahi Kasei’s spunbond and cartridge filter business will be integrated with all of Mitsui Chemicals’ nonwovens businesses with the exception of its SWP fibrillated polyolefin fiber. The new company will be known as Mitsui Chemicals Asahi Life Materials Co. and it will be based in Tokyo, Japan. Mistui will own slightly more than 60% of the company while Asahi Kasei will hold the remaining shares. Sales are estimated at ¥48.3 billion or about $370 million annually.

The Japanese sites for the company will include Mitsui’s Sunrex subsidiary in Mie, Japan as well as its Nogoya Works plant in Aichi. Meanwhile, Asahi Kasei’s plant in Moriyama will provide outsourced production. Overseas sites including both companies’ Thailand operations, will continue to carry out production and sales as subsidiaries of the integrated company. Asahi Kasei’s spunbond operation in Moriyama will be merged into the company by way of an absorption-type merger at a later date.

The main reason for the integration has been cited as intensifying competition in Asia, particularly among polypropylene spunbond manufacturers. The larger scale created by the merger of the two companies, which will produce 132,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens per year initially, will improve the companies’ position within Asia, particularly in the Chinese diaper market where oversupply has been caused by decreasing birth rates. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), enacted in January 2022, and the elimination of tariffs in East Asia has also contributed to increased competition, and escalating raw materials prices have made achieving profitability more difficult.

Asahi Kasei makes nonwovens in Japan and Thailand and its technologies include spunbond and meltblown. A main reason for the partnership with Mitsui was the closure of Asahi Kasei’ plant in Nobeoka, Japan in late 2022, following a fire at the site. This line made spunmelt nonwovens for diaper side guards, a market where Mitsui is strong.

Plants: Moriyama and Nobeoka, Japan
Processes: Spunbond, meltblown
Brand Names: Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Smash, Precise, Semia, PUlshut, Ecorise, NanoLeaf
Major Markets: Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters

Asahi Kasei’s capacity of nonwoven fabrics in Japan is 6000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens, 5500 tons of polyester spunbond nonwovens, 3500 tons per year of nylon spunbond nonwovens, 5000 tons of cupra spunbond nonwovens (Bemliese), 2000 tons of compound spunbond nonwovens (Precise) and 1000 tons of meltblown nonwovens.

Meanwhile in Thailand, Asahi Kasei makes 50,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens per year, following the completion of its latest production line which began operation in Spring 2021 and is capable of making 15,000 tons per year at the site. The growth of this site has offset reductions in spunbond production in Japan following a change in the company strategy to shift focus from Japan to the countries of Southeast Asia and China.

Asahi Kasei reduced its polypropylene spunbond output in Nobeoka, Japan, following damage caused by a tornado in late 2019. While the company hoped to resume operations following the tornado, the cost of repair, the deteriorated state of the equipment and the time needed to fix it made this impossible. The plant has supplied nonwoven fabric mainly for hygiene products such as disposable diapers in the domestic Japanese market for about 19 years since it began operation in 2001.

Recent developments from Asahi Kasei include the development of a PLA spunbonded nonwoven fabric, under the trade name Ecorise, which has been certified to biodegrade in marine environments.

Plants: Moriyama and Nobeoka, Japan
Processes: Spunbond, meltblown
Brand Names: Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Smash, Precise, Semia, PUlshut, Ecorise, NanoLeaf
Major Markets: Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters

Asahi Kasei’s capacity of nonwoven fabrics in Japan is 6000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens, 5500 tons of polyester spunbond nonwovens, 3500 tons per year of nylon spunbond nonwovens, 5000 tons of cupra spunbond nonwovens (Bemliese), 2000 tons of compound spunbond nonwovens (Precise) and 1000 tons of meltblown nonwovens.

Meanwhile in Thailand, Asahi Kasei makes 35,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens per year and is in the process of adding a new line capable of making 15,000 tons per year to the site.

Asahi Kasei reduced its polypropylene spunbond output in Nobeoka, Japan, following damage caused by a tornado in late 2019. While the company hoped to resume operations following the tornado, the cost of repair, the deteriorated state of the equipment and the time needed to fix it made this impossible.

The plant has supplied nonwoven fabric mainly for hygiene products such as disposable diapers in the domestic Japanese market for about 19 years since it began operation in 2001.

Moving forward, Asahi Kasei will concentrate its polypropylene spunbond nonwovens business in Thailand.

Asahi Kasei has been marketing  spunbond nonwovens under the Eltas brand name since 1973. It is used in a wide variety of applications including disposable diapers and other hygiene products, automotive and other industrial applications and deodorizing sheets and other consumer products. The new line, the site’s third line, will further reinforce AKST’s capability to meet ongoing demand growth with higher product performance, quality, and cost competitiveness.

Asahi Kasei has launched Bemliese, its proprietary ultra-sustainable continuous-filament cellulosic nonwoven fabric, in North America via its trading arm in the U.S., Asahi Kasei Advance America. Bemliese is a nonwoven fabric sheet made from cotton linter – tiny hair-like fibers on cotton seeds. Through science, Asahi Kasei is the only company in the world that has developed a clean proprietary process for treating this linter to produce sheets that can be integrated in a diverse array of product designs.

Plants: Moriyama and Nobeoka, Japan; Siracha, Thailand
Processes: Spunbond, meltblown
Brand Names: Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Smash, precise, Semia PUlshut
Major Markets:Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packagings, white blood corpuscle removing filters

In May 2020, Asahi Kasei decided to close its plant in Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan, for the manufacture of Eltas spunbond nonwoven fabric.

The plant has supplied nonwoven fabric mainly for hygiene products such as disposable diapers in the domestic Japanese market for some 19 years since it began operation in 2001. However, the plant was severely damaged when hit by the tornado that occurred in Nobeoka on September 22, 2019, and its operation has been suspended ever since. Although various studies were performed regarding the restoration of operation, the decision was made to close the plant considering the high cost of repair, the deteriorated state of equipment, and the time required for restoration being more than one year.

The Nobeoka site was able to make 14,5000 tons of spunbond nonwoven fabrics per year and the company plans to shift much of this production to its Thai facility, where a new line capable of making 15,000 tons of spunbond nonwovens per year is set to come onstream next year bringing the company’s capacity in Thailand to 50,000 tons. Asahi Kasei will continue to make spunbond nonwovens at its Moriyama factory in Shiga Province where its current capacity is 15,000 tons.

Under the Cs+ for Tomorrow 2021 medium-term management initiative, Asahi Kasei is prioritizing and allocating management resources to develop a business portfolio of sustainable and high value-added businesses. In accordance with its Group Vision to enable “living in health and comfort” and “harmony with the natural environment,” the company’s polypropylene spunbond nonwoven fabric business falls under “Life Material” as a priority field for provision of value. Moving forward, Asahi Kasei Spunbond Thailand will play a central role in the ongoing expansion of this business which contributes to life and living for people around the world.

Plants: Moriyama and Nobeoka, Japan; Siracha, Thailand
Processes: Spunbond, meltblown
Brand Names: Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Smash, precise, Semia PUlshut
Major Markets: Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packagings, white blood corpuscle removing filters

Asahi Kasei’s annual production capacity for of nonwoven fabrics in Japan is 34,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens; 5500 tons of polyester spunbond nonwovens; 3500 tons of nylon spunbond nonwovens; 5500 tons of cupra spunbond nonwovens (trade name: Bemliese); 2000 tons of compound spunbond nonwovens (trade name: Precise); and 200 tons of meltblown nonwovens.

Asahi Kasei Spunbond Thailand (AKST) produces polypropylene spunbond nonwovens with the capacity of 35,000 tons/year in Thailand. The company recently decided to expand its polypropylene spunbond nonwovens with the additional capacity of 15,000 tons/year in Thailand, and the new facilities are expected to operate in July 2021. Therefore, the production capacity of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens in Thailand will increase to 50,000 tons/year. In accordance with that, aggregate production capacity of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens in Japan would be  84,000 tons/year in 2021.

Asahi Kasei has commercialized a nanofiber nonwoven fabric, a nonwoven with a wet process cloth of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and a meltblown nonwoven fabric. The wet process nonwoven of CNF has been developed with the brand name of ‘NanoLeaf.’

There is a single-layered seat only by CNF, and the compound seat that is laminated to the single-layered seat to other nonwoven fabrics. The nonwoven fabric of cellulose nano fiber (CNF) has pushed forward the development for various uses such as filters, battery separators and reinforcement materials for the FRP. The meltblown nonwoven fabrics could be produced to the smallest fiber diameter to 300nm, and the polymer is made of nylon, and it could be produced with polypropylene too.

The nanofiber nonwoven fabric of the meltblown is used for the filter medium of liquid cartridge filters, and marketing has been pushing forward.

Plants: Miyama, Nobeoka, Japan
Processes: Spunbond, meltblown
Brand Names: Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Smash, precise, Semia PUlshut
Major Markets: Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packagings, white blood corpuscle removing filters

Production capacity of nonwoven fabrics at Asahi Kasei in Japan is 29,500 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens; 5500 tons of polyester spunbond nonwoven fabrics, 3500 tons of nylon spunbond nonwoven fabrics, 5500 tons of cupra spunbond nonwoven fabrics and 2000 tons per of meltblown nonwovens. Additionally, Asahi makes 40,000 tons of spunbond polypropylene materials in Thailand.

The increase of sales volumes of polypropylene spunbond nonwoven fabrics and Bemliese have contributed to the increasing sales of nonwoven fabrics at Asahi in 2017. Between Japan and Thailand, the company can make nearly 70,000 tons of spunbond materials per year. The company expanded its Thailand facility in 2016 and has been increasing output there ever since. While much of this material is exported to Japan, exports to other areas greatly increased in 2017.

The company is reportedly considering another expansion in Thailand to meet demand for materials both from Japan and other parts of Asia.

In terms of Bemliese, a new facility capable of making 1500 tons of the material per year, began operation in February 2017. Demand for face masks made of Bemliese is high and around 70% of the material made with this process is used in face masks. Growth is in part being driven by an increase in exports of this material to China and Korea which reached 2500 tons last year.

Bemliese is also being used as medical gauze and cleanroom wipes but face masks are dominating. It is ideal for face masks because it uses a cellulose long fiber, which in addition to high strength is durable and transparent, when wet

Plants: Moriyama, Nobeoka
Process: Spunbond, meltblown
Brands: Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Smash, Precise, Semia, Pulshut
Major Markets: Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packaging, white blood corpuscle removing filters

In Japan, Asahi Kasei can make 26,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens per year, 5500 tons of polyester spunbond nonwovens, 3500 tons of nylon spunbond; 5500 tons of cupra spunbond nonwovens, 2000 tons of Precise compound spunbond nonwovens and 200 tons of meltblown nonwovens.

In Thailand Asahi Kasei can make 40,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens and is investing in new equipment for its Bemliese cupra spunbond lines which will bring its capacity from 4000 to 5500 tons per year.

While sales of nonwovens increased for Asahi Kasei, growth was hindered by decreasing overseas sales caused by yen appreciation. A new facility with a capacity of 20,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens began operation in February 2016 and is expected to reach full capacity this year.

While growth of polypropylene nonwovens in Japan has been low as a result of a decrease in diaper production growth, the company plans to meet market needs and expand sales by improving existing value-added products with even higher performance and higher quality.

Exports of Bemliese for face mask use in China and Korea have greatly increased.

Asahi Kasei is developing cellulose nanofiber nonwovens, which it has been researching since 1990. CNF nonwovens currently under development are made with a wetlaid process. These feature a single layer sheet and multilayered sheet composed of other nonwovens. The company is planning to begin the full-fledged production in 2019 to use for cell culture substrates, heat exchange membranes and battery separators.

Plants: Moriyama and Nobeoka, Japan; Thailand
Processes: Spunbond, meltblown
Brand names: Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Smash, Precise
Major Markets: Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packagings, white blood corpuscle removing filters

Asahi Kasei has produced nonwovens in Japan and Thailand. In Japan, the company can make 26,000 tons of polypropylene nonwovens, 5500 tons of polyester nonwovens; 3500 tons of nylon spunbond nonwovens, 4000 tons of cupra spunbond nonwovens, 2000 tons of its Precise compound spunbond nonwovens and 200 tons of spunbond nonwovens. Meanwhile, its Thai subsidiary, Asahi Kasei Spunbond Thailand (AKST) has produced polypropylene spunbond nonwovens with an annual capacity of 20,000 tons per year on one line since 2012 and 20,000 tons on a second line since early in 2016.

The second line in Thailand is expected to start contributing to sales this year. For the past couple of years, Asahi’s Japanese operation has been running at full capacity and the company has been relying more on imports from Thailand.

Asahi Kasei is also expanding capacity of its Bemliese nonwovens by 1500 tons per year. The exports of these materials have increased greatly thanks to the low yen rate. The two major uses of Bemliese have traditionally been technical wipes and medical gauze, and its use is growing in face masks. This is being driven by exports to China and Korea.

In meltblown, Asahi makes materials for liquid filters using nanofibers that are 400 nm in diameter, made of polypropylene and nylon. Although the filter business represents a small portion of Asahi’s sales, it is important enough for the company to focus on developing high value added products.

Plants: Moriyama, Japan; Nobeoka, Japan; Thailand
Processes: Spunbond, meltblown
Brand Names: Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Smash, Precise
Major Markets: Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters

Asahi Kasei produces nonwovens in Japan and Thailand. In Japan, the company produces 26,000 tons of polypropylene-based spunbond nonwovens per year, 5500 tons of PET spunbond per year, 3500 tons of nylon spunbond nonwovens per year, 4000 tons of cupra spunbond nonwovens per year, 2000 tons of compound spunbond nonwovens (trade name: Precise) per year and 200 tons of meltblown nonwovens per year. Asahi Kasei Spunbond Thailand (AKST) has produced 20,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens per year on one line since November 2012 is adding another line, capable of making another 20,000 tons of material later this year. A third line is also on Asahi’s radar, although it is still in the planning stage and not expected to be operational until 2017 or 2018.

Asahi Kasei’s nonwovens sales have been increasing since 2014. The product expansion of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens in Thailand has contributed to the increment value of the sales, yet profits have decreased because of the remarkable rise in crude material prices. Exportation of cupra spunbond nonwovens (Bemliese) has largely increased due to the low yen rate effect, and the sales volume has also increased. On the other hand, PET spunbond nonwovens and nylon spunbond nonwovens were confined to level out.

Bemliese is the world’s only continuous-filament cellulose nonwoven fabric, which is primarily used for industrial wipers and medical applications, but is now gaining momentum in the face mask market. The amount of Bemliese exported for face masks has been increasing rapidly in China and Korea since 2013, and the percentage of exports accounts for more than 70% currently. In July, the company announced it will add 1500 tons per year of the material in Japan, which should come onstream in March 2017. At the plants making polypropylene spunbond nonwovens in Japan, the company upgraded the equipment, which increased production capacity by around 10%.

Plants: Shiga, Miyazaki, Japan; Siracha, Thailand
Processes: Spunbond, meltlbown
Brand names: Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Smash, Precise

Recent news from Asahi Kasei includes the start of construction on a new line in Siracha, Thailand. Announced in May 2014, the new line will double the company’s Thai capacity to 40,000 tons when it comes onstream in late 2015. Asahi Kasei established the Thai operation in 2012 as a base for local production in Thailand to meet growing demand for spunbond in diaper applications in Asia where demand is not only growing in terms of volume but also in terms of sophistication. The new line will feature state-of-the-art technology to meet demands for performance and quality even as price competition intensifies.

Asahi Kasei has been making spunbond nonwovens since 1973, marketing them under the Eltas brand name. In Japan, the company makes an additional 26,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond nonwovens at two production sites in Shiga and Miyazaki. While these lines are all reportedly running at full capacity, Asahi Kasei has made no plans to expand the site but will instead supply Japanese demand from Thailand. Already, about 20% of the first Thai line’s output is being exported to Japan.

According to executives, the expansion of spunbond production in Thailand has contributed nicely to earnings increases in Asahi Kasei’s fibers division, which contains the nonwovens business.

In addition to Eltas, Asahi Kasei offers a wide range of other highly functional nonwoven products made with advanced and innovative production technologies. Precisé is a multifunctional nonwoven fabric with higher barrier efficiency used in electronic applications; Bemliese is the world’s only 100% cellulose continuous-filament nonwovens; and Lamous artificial suede is used for upholstery and automotive interiors.

Asahi Kasei has more recently been targeting the oil-water separation market with its Eutec nanofiber meltblown nonwovens. These nonwovens, made from 300nm diameter fibers are being applied to liquid cartridge filter products. According to executives, the technology has allowed it to establish niche market leadership in oil-water separation and expand into applications with microfiltration.

Plants: Moriyama and Nobeoka, Japan
Processes: Spunbond, meltblow
Brands: Eltas, Bemliese, Microweb, Smash, Precise
Major markets: Coverstock, wipes, gauze, packings, white blood corpuscle removing filters

Asahi Kasei makes 13,000 tons of SMMS nonwovens, 13,000 tons of polypropylene spunbond, 5500 tons of polyester spunbond, 3500 tons of nylon spunbond, 4500 tons of Cupra spunbonded nonwovens, 2000 tons of Compound spunbond and 200 tons of meltblown nonwovens per year.

The company established a Thailand site in November 2012 and expects the new line, with a capacity of 20,000 tons per year, to reach a sold-out status by the end of 2013. Materials made in Thailand are used for the topsheet and backsheet of the diaper, a field where Asahi Kasei can be competitive due to its proprietary technology.

Another area of focus for Asahi Kasei has been in nanofiber nonwovens, which it manufactures through cellulose nanofiber and meltblown methods. As for the cellulose nanofiber nonwovens, the fiber diameter is 30-100 nm, the mass per unit is 3-20 gsm and the thickness is 7-80 microns.

According to the company, these materials can be used in filters, battery separators and medical applications. One specific area of success has been in the filter market where Asahi Kasei makes its own cartridge filter with meltblown nonwovens of less than one micron in fiber diameter. This cartridge is sold under the brand name Eutec Nano.