Nippon Steel Chemical Co., Ltd.

The Nippon Steel Chemical Group supplies basic chemicals that are produced by organically integrating coal chemistry, which uses coal tar, cokeoven gases etc. as its main raw materials, with petrochemistry, which uses naphtha, cracked gasoline and reformate as its main feedstock. In addition to basic chemicals that include sty-rene monomers, acid phthalic anhydrides, phenols and bisphenol A, the group manufactures and markets such aromatic chemicals as benzene, toluene and xylene. These chemicals de-monstrate reliable quality and excellent cost performance because of the proprietary processes and the uniquely distinct structure of the raw materials used in their manufacture.

The ESPANEX series of copper-clad lami-nated sheets (two-layer CCLs) for flexible printed circuit boards was developed by means of Nippon Steel Chemical's proprietary technology. This series is unique in that it involves no adhesive due to the use of low-expansion polyimide. ESPANEX has an excellent reputation as indispensable not only in the circuit boards for mobile phones, video cameras etc. but also in the drive circuit boards for LCDs (liquid crystal displays), where high performance and high As semiconductors move toward higher densities and higher levels of integration, requirements are becoming increasingly stringent with regard to rates of dimensional change, thermal resistance, electrical properties, mechanical properties etc. ESPANEX, which enhances these characteristics, has benefited from this trend and now commands a principal share of the world's two-layer CCL market.



Nippon Steel Chemical's advanced materials are increasingly applied in many parts of flat-panel displays, a key component in multimedia, centering on resist materials for liquid crystal color filters. Nippon Steel Chemical's "fine resin" provides flat-panel displays with greater brilliance.