BIO-BASED ENGINEERING PLASTICS WITH SUSTAINABILITY, HIGH FUNCTIONALITY, AND TRANSPARENCY

Bio-based engineering plastics, DURABIO
with sustainability,high functionalityand high transparency
Mitsubishi Chemical America, Inc
Keiichiro Kanatani, DURABIO Business development manager
Sustainable Plastics 2023
May 9, 2023

2 Mitsubishi Chemical America
Agenda
Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) Group Profile
Our commitment to the environment

Agenda

4 Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation

Mitsubishi Chemical America
3,538
employees
19
affiliated
companies
48
locations
$1.9B
sales revenue
44
manufacturing and sales
locations
7
technology centers
Includes 100% subsidiaries & JVs
Some locations house multiple operations
As of April 1st 2020
1
headquarter office
5

Agenda

Sustainability Highlights
Cited from MCG investor day 2023
https://www.irwebcasting.com/20230224/3/f5d4a0c502/mov/main/index.html

10
Our Sustainability Activities
Chemical Recycle
Item (Selective)
• MCG is conducting chemical recycle demonstration tests for several resins.
• Recent our news release related to chemical recycle;
• Study on the World's First Commercialization of Polycarbonate Resin Chemical Recycling, March 15, 2023
• Establishment of Japan’s First Acrylic Resin Collection Scheme in Collaboration with Tokio Marine & Nichido and
ABT—Verification testing for the commercialization of molecular recycling will begin—, February 23, 2023
• Successful trial results for acrylic resin chemical recycling with Agilyx -Plant-scale trial successfully
proves technology for depolymerizing acrylic resin-, December 09, 2021
Material Recycle • MCG is commercializing material recycling with shrink labels.
• Recent our news release related to material recycle;
• The Mitsubishi Chemical Group to Boost UK Production of SoarnoL™ EVOH Resin. SoarnoL™ are certified as
highly recyclable in combination with MCG’s recycling compatibilizer Soaresin™* July 28, 2022
• Resource-Recycling (Label to Label) Shrink Sleeve Label Adopted for the first time in Japan, May 30, 2022
Participation in
Initiatives
• MCG participates in several initiatives.
• MCG continue to be a key member of national initiatives on marine pollution.
Sustainable
Plastics
• MCG develops and manufactures many sustainable plastics.

11
Our portfolio of sustainable plastics (selective)
Brand Chemistry
Type
Biobased-route Biodegradable Recyclable
BioPBSTM Polybutylene succinate
DURABIOTM Isosorbide-based
polycarbonate
SoarnoLTM ethylene vinyl alcohol
Nichigo
G-PolymerTM
butenediol vinyl alcohol
copolymer
GOHSENOLTM polyvinyl alcohol

Agenda

13
Kye numbers of plastics
8.3 billion tons* Volume of plastics ever thrown away
400 million tons* Plastics production volume per year
6%* Percentage of crude oil used in plastic
Percentage of bioplastics in all plastics
Less than one %*
80%* Non-recycled plastics
*Data around 2020
WHY AREN’T BIOPLASTICS BEING USED MUCH SO FAR?
“
”

14
Why bioplastics have not become widely used?
Our solutions
Challenges
DURABIO overcame ( is overcoming) these challenges and is mass-produced
Our solutions
(DURABIO case)
Production
• Difficult to mass-produce
• Need new production plant
• Requires significant investment if new
plant is built
• Possess outstanding PC polymerization
technology
• Use PC existing plant for DURABIO production
• No big investment required
Raw material
• Compete with food • Intend to acquire ISCC Plus certification
Challenges on
the use
• Bioplastics are comparable to or inferior to
traditional plastics in terms of strength and
other properties.
• Bioplastics is expensive.
• DURABIO is high performance plastics
compared with traditional plastics.
• Provide added value

15
What is DURABIO?
Isosorbide
Plant-based
chain
Glucose Sorbitol
Co-monomer
Plant Starch
DURABIO
Oil
Aromatic
Polycarbonate
Naphtha Cumen
Acetone
Phenol
BPA
DURABIO is Oxygen-containing alicyclic polycarbonate copolymer made mainly from plant sugars.
Petrochemical-based
chain

16
We were able to create DURABIO because of our polycarbonate technology
COCl2
2 NaCl
+
NaOH / CH2Cl2
＜40℃
❑ Interfacial process by phosgenation
❑ Melt process with diphenyl carbonate (Our process)
There are two processes to produce polycarbonate
+
Cat ＞ 220℃
+
COCl2
NaOH / CH2Cl2
＜40℃
+ Cat +
Interfacial process
Melt process
(Our process)
Successful mass production of DURABIO using an existing polycarbonate plant

17
Colorless and transparent resin can now be made
Catalyst
Improvement
Process
Improvement
Stabilizer
Improvement
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
96.0 96.8
96.4 97.2
Yellow
Index
Transmittance high light transmission
Yellow
Traditional Polycarbonate
DURABIO
.
3mmt plate （CM-3700d､ Konica Minolta, Inc.）
By improving some conditions, the resin
became transparent and the quality improved

18
DURABIOTM combines the most advantages properties of PC and PMMA.
Low Birefringence
Excellent Transparency
Impact Strength
(Multi-axial Impact)
Heat Resistance
Bio-based Content Flame Retardance
Surface Hardness
Film-Flexibility, Film-Processability
Stretch Orientation
UV Resistance
Weather Resistance
DURABIO PMMA PC
DURABIO
Front panel of smart phone Cosmetic bottle
Transparent furniture
Mold-in-color automotive parts
Outdoor transparent wall
Sunglass lens/frame

19
DURABIOTM –properties & benefits
Benefits
Bio-based
material
• Lower carbon footprint compared with oil-based material
• Renewable content certified by USDA, DIN CERTCO,
and JBPA
• Bis-Phenol A (BPA) free polycarbonate
High Scratch
resistance
• Higher scratch resistance than other general
plastics
• DURABIO can be used without painting for
parts that used to require painting
High
Transparent
• More transparent than traditional polycarbonate
• Brilliant optical property
• Low birefringence
Good
mechanical
properties
• Ductility, with high impact strength
• High heat resistance
• High chemical resistance
High Weather
& UV light
resistance
• No yellowing, no whitening
Properties
Smart phone case Mold-in-color automotive parts
Display cover lens
HUD combiner
Housing for handrail lighting
Housing for light

20
Adaptation example
- Paint free concept (*Mold-in-color)
• Key properties
- High scratch resistance
- Superb UV and weather resistance
- Good appearance (high gloss black)
Painting part DURABIO
MIC part
Total
cost
of
a
part
Painting scrap cost
Painting cost
Molding cost
Resin cost
Molding cost
Resin cost
Painting part DURABIO
MIC part
VOC
emission
100
10
1
0.1
0.01
0.001
Key success factor
• Eliminate the painting process
• Lower price than painted parts
• Faster part production
• Less VOC emissions than painted parts
• Lowers overall production energy footprint
*With molded-in color technology, pre-colored plastic resins are used in the
plastic injection molding process, so the molded part has the specified color and
finish. This process eliminates painting steps.

21
Adaptation example : Automotive Interior Parts
- Paint free concept (Mold-in-color)

22
Instrument Panel
Provided by Suzuki

23
Center Console
Gear Shift Panel

24
Door trim parts

25
Provided by Mazda
Adaptation example : Automotive Exterior Parts

26
C.A.S.E. Application Advantages of DURABIO
Connectivity
Display panel
Transparency, High surface hardness,
High impact strength, Low birefringence
HUD
Transparency, Low birefringence
Autonomous
Radar cover
High radio wave transmittance, High surface
hardness, High weatherability
LIDAR Cover
High infrared light transmittance, High
surface hardness, High weatherability
Sharing /
Subscription
Smart key
High scratch resistance, High impact
strength, Bacteria-repellent
Electrification
Glazing
Transparency, High surface hardness,
High impact strength, High weatherability
Large exterior parts
High surface hardness,
High impact strength, High weatherability
Taking advantages of DURABIO, it can be contributing to the development of
next-generation vehicles such as autonomous driving cars
Example case : Radar cover
DURABIO
Requirement
(example)
Relative
permittivity
2.8 < 3
Dielectric tangent 0.002 < 0.009
Frequency for the
measurements :
77GHz,
Standard : JIS
R1660-1
• DURABIO has high radio wave transmittance
Adaptation / Development examples (selective)

27
Adaptation example
- Good visibility display
27
• Key properties
- High transparency
- Low birefringence
Key success factor
• Good visibility for automotive center information display
• Safe driving
• More freedom of display shape
Polarizer film
DURABIO
or PC
Polarizer film
Due to DURABIO's low optical distortion,
there is almost no rainbow pattern in DURABIO plaque.
Polycarbonate
DURABIO

28
Adaptation example
- High weather resistance transparent outdoor wall
• Key properties
- High weather resistance
- High Transparency
Key success factor
• Keep clear for a long time
• Clean appearance
• Less frequent replacement
-> Cost reduction
March 2015
DURABIO Polycarbonate
Outdoor transparent wall in Tokyo-Nagoya Expressway
July 2019 (4 years passed)
DURABIO Polycarbonate
September 2022 (7 years passed)
DURABIO
Had been replaced!
New Polycarbonate

29
Conclusion;
-How DURABIO can contribute to a circular-economy and low-carbon society-
Use
Production
Recycle
Raw material
Collection
Circular economy
Easy to recycle
Mold-in color
Bio-based raw material
Minimize input
of exhaustible resources
Long life and few updates
High durability
Lower carbon footprint
Mold-in color
Easy to produce
Uses existing PC production plant
DURABIO will continue to contribute to the realization of
a 3R+R (Reduce、Reuse、Recycle ＆ Renewable) and loop society.

30
Disclaimer
• The values used for the properties in this presentation are representative, not guaranteed values.
• Application results are not guaranteed for the examples of use provided in this presentation.
• Before using these products, please check for any legal restrictions and test check for compatibility, safety, etc.
• Mitsubishi Chemical reserves the right to change this information or the reference products at any time.
Thank you!

BIO-BASED ENGINEERING PLASTICS WITH SUSTAINABILITY, HIGH FUNCTIONALITY, AND TRANSPARENCY

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