Dainippon Celluloid Co., Ltd. (the predecessor of Daicel) is established.

At the time, celluloid was the world’s first artificial plastic. Made mainly from cellulose nitrate and camphor, celluloid was in high demand all over the world. As competition for production intensified, eight manufacturers in Japan merged in order to prevent overharvesting of camphor trees, one of the raw materials; to eliminate excessive competition in the celluloid industry; and to promote the development of the processing industry.

Although celluloid was a very useful plastic, it had the drawback of being highly flammable. To overcome this problem, the company developed acetyloid, an acetate plastic made from cellulose acetate, with the goal of offering a less flammable product.

Tri-acetyl cellulose (TAC), a form of cellulose acetate used for photographic film, greatly contributed to the wide adoption of a safe form of nonflammable photographic film.

Several attempts had been made to remove the harmful substances from tobacco smoke as a means of protecting the health of smokers. Filters made of cellulose acetate were successfully adopted in the United States in 1951 because they adsorbed sufficient amounts of tar and nicotine without impairing the aroma or flavor of the tobacco. Later, in 1958, mass production began in Japan after an attempt at domestic production proved successful.

We introduced a chiral column with an optical isomer separation function that suppresses the side effects of artificially synthesized chemical substances. Thanks to its ability to distinguish cellulose molecules, this product is used to separate components that can be used effectively as medicines. It is widely used around the world as an indispensable tool for pharmaceutical R&D, manufacturing, and quality assurance.

We began mass production of inflators, an important component of automotive airbag safety systems. Research and development of cellulose-nitrate-powered gas generators, which work safely and stably when needed, had begun earlier during the 1970s. The technology was then applied to pretensioner gas generators (PGGs) used with seat belts.

We began production of tri-acetyl cellulose (TAC) as an optical film for LCDs. TAC was originally developed as a base for photographic film, but its excellent flame-resistance, transparency, surface appearance, electrical insulating properties, and other characteristics expanded its scope of application, and it eventually became a component of LCDs to meet the needs of the digital age.

Water is a valuable resource that has become threatened as a result of climate change. We have introduced a separation membrane module for water treatment that can be used to treat water in a wide range of applications. Cellulose acetate is also used here as a membrane material exhibiting excellent hydrophilicity.

Actranza™ Lab is a new dosing device for animal experiments that instantly perforates the skin with a high-speed jet; thus, it uses no needle to introduce substances into the cells. This drug delivery system, which contributes to the emergence of innovative treatments such as gene therapies, uses the unique DAISI® energy system, a cellulose-nitrate-powered gas generator technology.

CAFBLO®, a cellulose acetate resin, dramatically improves the marine biodegradability of cellulose acetate. Cellulose-based plastics obtained from wood, cotton, and other inedible plants are expected to provide an effective solution to the global problem of marine plastic pollution.