The Basic Chemicals Research Laboratory engages in a broad range of research, including organic synthesis, inorganic materials, polymer materials, display materials and various types of analysis. Capitalizing on an extensive expertise in these areas, the Laboratory continues to develop world-class new technologies in not only ongoing fields, but also by hybridization and combination of different technologies.

Development of solid catalyst technologies Sumitomo Chemical has developed and industrialized the world’s first caprolactam production process, called vapor-phase Beckmann Rearrangement. In this process, a unique zeolite is used as the catalyst. It is presumed that the raw material, cyclohexanoneoxime, is activated at the activation points of the catalyst in configurations as shown in the figure below.		Development of display materials Methacrylate resins are used in a variety of applications, including advertising displays, taillights of bicycles, illumination lamp covers, large tanks for aquariums and various other products. Demand is rapidly expanding for light-guiding plates and light diffusion films used for liquid crystal displays as well as the screens of large-sized projection televisions.
Development of high performance inorganic materials The Laboratory is developing high performance inorganic materials usable for various purposes, such as environmental cleanup, telecommunication and energy saving devices. Among promising products under development, fine particles of high purity alumina (shown in the photo below) will find use in storage media devices and high-strength ceramics.

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