Medium-Term Management Plan ACE 2.0

Aience Inc., which is involved in the development and design of wastewater and exhaust treatment systems, developed Aquablaster, a wastewater treatment system that does not rely on chemical agents. The system is already being used in a broad range of fields, mainly in food processing plants, but also chemical and machinery manufacturing plants.

Aquablaster uses a water jet flow created through patented propeller blades in the diffuser tube to activate and maximize the decomposition power of microbes, which reduces the amount of sludge and odor without relying on chemical agents or coagulants, thus significantly reducing treatment costs. As awareness of the environment grows and environmental regulations are strengthened throughout the world, Aquablaster can contribute to both environmental regulation measures, which is a major issue for our customers, and cost reduction through process improvement.

Hayashibara Co., Ltd., which takes charge of the bio-related business for the NAGASE Group, has also installed Aquablaster to stabilize waste‑water treatment and cut costs. We will provide a wide array of solutions to customers’ problems by utilizing the Group’s network to not only provide hardware such as systems and equipment, but also in such ways as labor-saving through 24-hour monitoring systems utilizing IoT.

Products are now tending to avoid using conventional chemicals or animal-derived raw materials as nature awareness has risen. In the healthcare field such as supplements, there is a growing demand for raw materials that are plant-derived and produced using green methods such as microbial fermentation.

PULLULAN, produced by Hayashibara, is a plant-based polysaccha‑ ride material produced using an original fermentation production technology based on starch degradation products and a type of filamentous fungus. PULLULAN’s features include strong binding properties, outstanding film-forming properties and easy solubility in water. It is used as a coating and binding agent for foods and tablets in addition to being a base material for capsules in the healthcare area. Hayashibara’s original fermentation technology and strains optimized for PULLULAN production over generations of breeding not only allow for a more outstanding quality PULLULAN to be produced, Hayashibara also owns patents to contribute to higher-quality capsules. For capsule applications, we have been supplying raw materials to Lonza, one of the world’s leading capsule manufacturers, for many years.

Hayashibara will leverage the technologies it has cultivated until now and engage in R&D to deliver new products to consumers seeking organic foods, such as vegans and vegetarians.

The Polymer Global Account Department conducts R&D centered on modifi‑ cation that will lead to the practical application of various biomaterials.

One such example is modified polylactic acid (PLA) resin using cane sugar or corn as a raw material. Cooperating with partner companies, we have improved heat resistance and strength by augmenting the degree of crystallization and are now expanding into the textile industry. The company plans to start mass production of some of the products in 2021, and to increase recognition of PLA fiber by establishing a sales track record in domestic apparel manufacturers‘ environmentally friendly clothing. The use of bio-derived and biodegradable materials is expected to contribute to the reduction of textile waste, which is said to be the largest source of marine plastic waste. By applying the technology of Interfacial Consultants, a U.S. Group company, that enables the production of highly-filled masterbatch with various fillers, we will advance business development for use in high-performance food packaging materials. We have also begun to study environmentally friendly formulations based on PLA for various sheet and film applications.

We will continue to promote the practical use of biomaterials in various applications and contribute to a decarbonized society by reducing the use of petrochemical-derived resins.