DIC Corp. began expanding its capacity to produce extreme pressure additives for metalworking fluids at its plant in Kashima, Japan. The company did not disclose the facilitys existing capacity but said the expansion will increase capacity by 6,000 metric tons per year.
DIC claims to supply 30 percent of the worlds extreme pressure additives. A press release distributed by U.S. sales arm Sun Chemical Corp. said it is undertaking the expansion both to meet growing demand from existing customers and to enable expansion into new markets.
The Tokyo-headquartered company makes its extreme pressure additives at its 600,000 square meter plant in Kashima, which is located in Ibaraki Prefecture. They are sulfurized molecules made from any of a variety of chemistries including olefins, lard, plant oils, esters and fatty acids.
DIC markets them under the Dailube brand for use in metalworking fluids such as cutting, forming and rolling oils. Sun describes them as light in color and low in odor, offering high solubility and a high flash point.
The Kashima plant, which is powered mostly by renewable energy sources, also produces organic pigments, bases for inks, metal carboxylates and polyphenylene sulfide resins.