Nagase & Co., a Japanese specialized chemical trading house, has developed a new absorbent that does not use naphtha. By utilizing a starch-derived material with a lower environmental burden to replace conventional petroleum-based raw materials, the product is drawing attention as a new alternative in Japan, where the supply of hygiene products such as diapers has been disrupted by worsening conditions in the Middle East.
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on Wednesday, a super absorbent polymer (SAP) developed by Nagase has been applied to the "Daily Pad," a women's incontinence pad product launched by hygiene products company VVV.
SAP is a material capable of absorbing water at tens to hundreds of times its own volume, and is an essential component in hygiene products such as diapers and sanitary pads. Most hygiene products are manufactured using naphtha, a basic petrochemical raw material derived from petroleum, but Nagase succeeded in developing an SAP that uses starch as its main ingredient.
Nikkei explained that "Nagase holds Nagase Vita (formerly Hayashibara), a subsidiary with enzyme technology, and Nagase ChemteX, which has resin production technology for semiconductor materials," adding that "by combining the technologies of both companies, it succeeded in altering the molecular structure of starch and achieving high absorbency comparable to petroleum-based products."
Although petroleum-based chemical products are used in some SAP processes, most of the raw materials are plant-based. The material is biodegradable, giving it a low environmental burden, and is also expected to contribute to supply chain stability amid the recent Middle East crisis.
Shion Sudo, CEO of VVV, expressed optimism, saying, "The hygiene products industry is a representative field of petroleum dependence that is not well known," and "by introducing plant-derived materials, we will be able to diversify the supply risk of manufacturing raw materials and stably supply daily necessities."
VVV plans to develop and launch products applying the material to paper diapers and other goods in the future. Paper diapers are composed of SAP, nonwoven fabric, and wood pulp, most of which depend on petroleum-related raw materials. As a result, they are susceptible to crude oil price increases and supply disruptions. In fact, prices of sanitary products, paper diapers, detergents, and cosmetics have recently risen in Japan.
Nagase has set a goal of growing the business that combines paper diaper sales using its own materials and recycling operations to an annual revenue of 50 billion yen (about 480 billion won). The company's strategy is to foster starch-based eco-friendly technology as a new core business, prompted by the instability in naphtha supply.
