Nippon Mitsubishi Oil restarts a PX joint venture in Thailand. Malaysian government makes efforts to expand a downstream sector of petrochemical business. The supply and demand for MMA in Asia tightens. The Asian phenol market price is expected to rise further in the future. China Sumika Color doubles the capacity of a joint company in China.
China restarts imports of South Korean polyethylene.
China publishes an official report on the environmental situation in China in 1999. Hitachi Chemical, etc. develop a high-speed system of electrophoretic analysis. Asahi Techno Glass mass produces lead-free glass for sealing purposes on a trial basis. Osaka National Research Institute develops a new liquid crystal polymer which has both transparency and optical anisotropy. A small UV device is being developed for the disposal of plating wastewater.