UBE Corporation (President: Masato Izumihara; hereinafter, “UBE”) has decided to expand silicon nitride production facility at its Ube Chemical Factory to meet rapidly growing demand mainly for bearings and substrates for electric vehicles (xEVs). The facility is scheduled to go on-line in the second half of fiscal 2025. The production capacity will be about 1.5 times from the current level.
UBE’s silicon nitride powder is the high-quality ceramic material which is made by the original Imide-decomposition process. This process, our proprietary process, has superiority in particle design with purity, morphology, crystal phase, grain size, its distribution and other important properties which can control the microstructure, and consequently it enhances thermomechanical properties required for final products such as strength, fracture toughness, hardness, thermal shock fracture resistance, thermal conductivity, etc. Since 1986, its going on the market, UBE’s silicon nitride powder has been used for various final applications in a wide range of industries such as automobile, aerospace, electronics, machine tools and others, and recognized as a global standard by ceramic manufacturers all over the world.
Recently, UBE’s silicon nitride, which has high quality and a proven track record, has been growing rapidly for applications used in xEVs such as bearings for motors and heat radiation circuit substrates for inverters. To meet the growing demand as the top manufacturer of high-grade silicon nitride, UBE will enhance its production system.
Under the medium-term management plan, “UBE Vision 2030 Transformation — 1st Stage,” announced in May 2022, UBE aims to become a corporate group centered on specialty chemicals that contributes to the global environment, human health, and an enriched future society. In order to achieve this vision, the company will efficiently invest its management resources with a dual focus on contributing to global environmental issues and growing its specialty chemicals business. In the silicon nitride business, UBE will expand its business in the environment and energy fields and contribute to the development of a sustainable society.
Applications of silicon nitride (examples)
UBE’s high-purity silicon nitride powder
https://www.ube.com/contents/en/chemical/ceramics/index.html
