About Daicel
Celluloid was the world's first industrialized plastic, and domestic production of the raw material fabric began in Japan in the 1900s. However, the subsequent increase in demand led to an upsurge in domestic celluloid manufacturers, resulting in excessive competition, declining quality, and overcutting of camphorwood, the raw material used to make celluloid. Concerned about this situation, eight celluloid manufacturers reorganized the industry, and in 1919, eight companies merged to create Dainippon Celluloid Co., Ltd., which is Daicel today. Daicel The company has continued to research and develop products that meet the needs of the times and offers a variety of products, including cellulose acetate and engineering plastics, which are today's mainstay products. In addition, the company has worked to innovate production technology in chemical plants, including DAICEL Production Innovation
Currently, we have 73 companues in 15 countries and regions around the world as of March 2025, with approximately 10,000 consolidated employees.
Just as the eight celluloid manufacturers of that time joined hands to enrich society, Daicel will contribute to the creation of a sustainable society together with our customers and partners, and change the future with the power of chemistry, keeping in mind our unchanging aspiration to be "a company that makes lives better by co-creating value. We will continue to change the future with the power of chemistry.
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Foundation year
1919
Celluloid manufacturers at the time
Eight companies merged
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Number of Group Companies
73companies
in 15 countries/regions
(As of March 31, 2025)
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Group Employees
11,178
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Consolidated Net Sales
586.5bn
(FY 2025/3)
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Consolidated Operating Income
61.0bn
(FY 2025/3)
Daicel Group’s Three Main Strengths
Development of Unique Technologies Since the Company’’s Foundation
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1
Acetyl Chain
Technology that built the acetyl chain
We are the only acetic acid manufacturer in Japan, and have built a series of characteristic acetyl chains that manufacture acetic acid derivatives such as acetyl chemicals and cellulose acetate from acetic acid. We are developing our business from a strong position globally.
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2
Cellulose
Technology for controlling physical properties of cellulose, a natural material
Cellulose AcetateUtilizing the knowledge and technology related to cellulose that we have accumulated over many years since our founding, we are developing high-performance products centered on cellulose acetate, such as acetate fibers, filter materials, liquid crystal panel film materials, and cosmetic materials, in a wide range of fields.
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3
ONE TIME ENERGY®
Expanding technologies accumulated over many years into new fields
ONE TIME ENERGY®Since the commercialization of automobile airbag inflators, we have continued to manufacture gas generators and have contributed to automobile safety. We define the technology cultivated in inflator manufacturing as ONE TIME ENERGY®, which generates optimal energy instantly, reliably, and safely," and we are working to apply this technology in a wide range of fields.
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4
Engineering Plastics
Broad product lineup and technological solutions
Our strength lies in our wide-ranging product lineup, from general-purpose resins to super engineering plastics in addition to our engineering plastics, which have a large share of the global market. We also have technical solution centers around the world, and we provide technical solutions to our customers by making full use of the know-how and data we have cultivated.
Consolidated Net Sales and Operating Income
586.5bn
61.0bn
Segment
Daicel operates in five segments.
Daicel's History and Future
Ever since its founding in 1919, Daicel has a history of progress by meeting the needs of society as it changes over time and developing and providing products that contribute to sustainability.
Looking to the future, in FY2020 we formulated the 4th Long-Term Vision "DAICEL VISION 4.0" centered on our sustainable management policy, and from FY2021 we have launched the Mid-Term Management Strategy “Accelerate 2025”. We continue to work on improving the corporate value of Daicel Group and contributing to building a circular society.
Daicel was founded in 1919 through the merger of eight celluloid companies. From the beginning Daicel worked to make celluloid less inflammable and ended up developing acetate plastic. After establishing the Arai Plant in 1935, we then in 1938, laid the foundations for our cellulose and organic chemicals businesses by setting up a system for consistent production of the raw material cellulose acetate from acetic acid.
Enrichment of daily life Celluloid
As a pioneer in the field of plastics, we played an integral role in the development of the Japanese chemical industry.
Securing safety Cellulose acetate
- 1938
- Commercialized cellulose acetate, offering a solution to flammability concerns associated with cellulose nitrate.
19Production of acetate plastic went into full operation at our Aboshi Plant in 1950, and in 1953, joint research with Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.*led to the beginning of production of TAC, and in 1958 our Sakai Plant began production of acetate toe, which is used in cigarette filters, rounding out our cellulose business. Since cellulose nitrate is a raw material for pyrotechnics, our pyrotechnic business developed, and we established the Harima Plant in 1954.
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* Now known as Fujifilm Corporation
Fireproofing films for movies and photography and adding advanced properties Tri-Acetate Cellulose (TAC)
- 1953
- We began producing TAC and after 2000, this business grew significantly as the material came to be used for optical film.
During the 1960s, Daicel participated in Japan’s first petrochemical complex and began its petrochemical business with the construction of the Ohtake Plant. In the synthetic resins business, in addition to manufacturing AS resin and ABS resin, Daicel entered into a joint venture with the U.S. company Polyplastics, Co. Ltd.*and went into the engineering plastics business.
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* Polyplastics, Co. Ltd. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Daicel in FY2021/3.
Taking on the challenge of Metal Replacement Polyacetal (POM)
- 1964
- Daicel began manufacturing engineering plastics, which serve as metal substitutes in automobiles and other products. Their use has contributed to the development of lightweight components and contributed to a reduction in the environmental load.
In order to deal with a structural slump and to strengthen our main businesses, we went into the methanol carbonylation business, which was the cutting-edge technology at the time, as part of an effort to switch to raw materials that do not depend on petroleum. Participating in the C1 Chemistry Projec*, we played a role in reorganizing the acetic acid industry.
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* C1 Chemistry was a national project which aimed to break away from over-reliance on oil during the 1970s energy crisis.
Realignment of the acetic acid sector Acetic acid using the methanol carbonylation process
- 1980
- Introduced the methanol carbonylation process to produce acetic acid, our core material, which led to the realignment of the acetic acid sector.
During the 1980s, we established local subsidiaries in Europe, the United States, and Asia. In 1988, we established a subsidiary for manufacturing inflators for automobile air bags. In 1990, we set up a manufacturing base for optical isomer separation in the United States, and in 1992, we began manufacturing acetate toe at a joint venture company in China.
Provision of safe medicine Chiral columns
- 1982
- Started producing chiral columns, which are used to separate substances that may otherwise cause adverse side effects.
安Provision of safety and security Automobile airbag inflators
- 1988
- Started supplying the key component for automobile airbag systems that protect passengers in the event of a collision.
We have expanded our inflator business and established bases for that purpose in six countries around the world. We have also expanded our display business by taking TAC, originally a raw material for movie and other films, and using it for manufacturing optical film. In the area of technology, we are opening the Daicel Production Innovation system that we established at the Aboshi Plant and gradually extending it to the entire company and accelerating our process innovations. In 2017, we opened Innovation Park as a center for research and development and concentration of production technology.
Improvements in productivity Autonomous Production System
- 2000
- Daicel Production Innovation Established.
- FY2021/3
- Daicel made use of artificial intelligence to develop the Autonomous Production System, a more evolved version of Daicel Production Innovation.
Uncovering new needs, starting new businesses in order to co-create value with our customers and business partners, and constructing new biomass product trees with environmentally-friendly new technology, we will contribute to construction of a circular society with Daicel's unique efforts and determinations.
Solution for marine plastic Marine biodegradable cellulose acetate
We have noticeably improved marine biodegradability of naturally derived and biodegradable cellulose acetate, and we are continuing to develop other environmentally-friendly products.
Pioneering new uses through reinterpretation of the functions of existing technology Product Deployment with ONE TIME ENERGY®
We are taking the technologies that we have developed safely, accurately, and instantaneously by generating a single burst of optimal energy and adapting them to uses in industries such as health care and automobiles.
