We are pleased to announce that our company will provide continuous decomposition technology used for chemical recycling to Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. This technology continuously recovers MMA (methyl methacrylate) monomer from used acrylic resin (PMMA) using a twin-screw kneading extruder from the 'TEX Series'. The 'TEX Series' twin-screw kneading extruder is expected to be applied not only for thermal recycling and material recycling purposes but also for chemical recycling applications. To meet societal needs for recycling technology, we plan to establish a chemical recycling center within our Hiroshima manufacturing facility in 2022. Our group will continue to work on developing products that reduce environmental impact and aims to be a company that contributes to the realization and development of a sustainable society.

Our company, in collaboration with Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd., has developed a resin composite material (Trefa Bio Composite) that contains a high proportion of wood-based biomass as a raw material. This new composite material can reduce plastic usage by more than 50% and also contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In composite materials made from wood-based biomass such as wood powder and pulp, conventional products have faced challenges in heat resistance and moldability. The newly developed Trefa Bio Composite utilizes Nippon Paper's established Trefaction technology for new biomass solid fuels, which imparts heat resistance, grindability, and hydrophobicity to the wood-based biomass. By using the kneading technology of the twin-screw extruder 'TEX' to incorporate this sustainable wood-based biomass material into the resin at a high ratio, we have created a new Trefa Bio Composite that excels in heat resistance and moldability compared to conventional products. This Trefa Bio Composite and cellulose bio composite will be exhibited at Nippon Paper's booth at "TOKYO PACK 2021." Moving forward, our company will continue to enhance the kneading technology of 'TEX' and advance the development of better products.

We provide technical information and product announcements as a NEWS LETTER for users of twin-screw extruders. In order to deliver more enriching topics in the future, we invite you to share any issues, questions, or points of interest you may have regarding twin-screw extruders. Additionally, our company regularly holds technical training sessions for users of 'TEX'. We would like to use your feedback for future sessions, so please let us know your opinions and requests. You can access the survey screen via the following URL or related links: https://questant.jp/q/P5W4GCN4 The average time required is 3 minutes, and there are a total of 16 questions.

We will be exhibiting at IPF JAPAN 2020 (International Plastic Fair) with a virtual booth. Exhibited Products and Services: ■ Injection molding machines for plastics ■ Injection molding machines for magnesium ■ Twin-screw extruder (main unit) ■ Extrusion molding equipment for T-die film/sheet ■ Extrusion molding equipment for pellets ■ Extrusion molding equipment for biaxially stretched film ■ Extrusion molding equipment for compounding ■ Extrusion blow molding machines ■ Production management systems We look forward to your visit.