Mitsubishi Chemical to Expand Optical Film Production Capacity

Mitsubishi Chemical Group has announced that it will expand its optical polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) film production capacity at its plant in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The upgraded and expanded new facility is scheduled to be operational in the second half of fiscal year 2027.

Optical Polyvinyl Alcohol (OPVA) is a polymer specialized in the optical field and materials science, and is a derivative of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with excellent optical transparency, mechanical strength, and chemical stability.Key properties of OPVA include:

In terms of optical properties, OPVA has a high degree of transparency and excellent homogeneity, making it suitable for use in the manufacture of optical components, lenses and optical films. Its mechanical properties are also quite superior, exhibiting good tensile strength and toughness, making it suitable for making durable optical materials. In addition, optical polyvinyl alcohol can be thermoformed, impregnated, and coated into a variety of shapes and sizes due to its ease of processing. Its hydrophilicity provides advantages for optical products in humid environments, but may affect its stability in some cases.

In practical applications, OPVA is widely used in the production of optical adhesives, optical coatings, optical films in liquid crystal displays, and optical sensors. As technology continues to advance, the potential of optical polyvinyl alcohols in new optical materials and applications continues to grow.

PVOH products are mainly used in polarizers for TVs and other liquid crystal displays. As the size of liquid crystal displays continues to expand, market demand for related products continues to increase. Against this backdrop, Mitsubishi Chemical has decided to expand its production facilities to meet the growing demand and the need for higher quality standards.

The new production facility will offer higher productivity than conventional facilities and will focus on producing high quality products. The facility will be the largest single-line production capacity owned by Mitsubishi Chemical, with an annual capacity of 27 million square meters. Upon completion of the expansion, Mitsubishi Chemical’s total optical film production capacity is expected to reach 154 million square meters per year.