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Sumitomo Chemical Achieves Production-Scale Manufacturing of Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) Using Biomass Feedstock in Preparation for Mass Production
The Company Will Begin Supplying Samples Produced Through Biomanufacturing
Oct. 6, 2026
Sumitomo Chemical has achieved production-scale manufacturing of liquid crystal polymer (LCP) that contains a portion of monomer derived from biomass feedstock (bio-based LCP (*1)). As a global supplier in the LCP market, the Company is preparing a mass production system for bio-based LCP leveraging biomanufacturing technology. It also plans to begin providing customers with samples obtained from this production-scale manufacturing.
LCP is a type of super engineering plastic that offers excellent heat resistance and flame retardancy. Its outstanding fluidity, in particular, makes it well-suited to a wide range of applications, from electronic devices such as smartphones to automotive components and office automation equipment. While most of the raw materials used to produce LCP have traditionally been derived from fossil resources, there is growing demand for shifting to biomass feedstock and reducing the carbon footprint (*2) in order to achieve a sustainable society.
In response to rising customer demand, Sumitomo Chemical has been advancing the development of bio-based LCP. In June 2025, the Company established technology to mass-produce the material and has since been advancing studies to scale up this technology. It has now confirmed through production-scale manufacturing that it can produce LCP partially containing biomass-derived monomers at a quality equivalent to that of LCP made with conventional fossil-based feedstock (*3).
The manufacturing process to produce the bio-based LCP used by Sumitomo Chemical adopts a segregation approach, in which biomass feedstock and non-biomass feedstock are kept completely separate from each other during production. This makes it possible to clearly quantify the amount of biomass feedstock included in the final product. There is also another approach, known as mass balance, in which biomass feedstock and non-biomass feedstock are mixed together, and the characteristics of the biomass feedstock are allocated to part of the product output in proportion to the amount of biomass feedstock used. Sumitomo Chemical will assess the characteristics of each approach to utilize a method that best meets customer needs.
As part of its long-term vision, Sumitomo Chemical has positioned itself as a company that solves social issues through innovative technologies. In its biomanufacturing, the Company is pursuing the hybridization of chemical and biological technologies.
In the green bio (*4) field, Sumitomo Chemical is working toward the achievement of a regenerative society through both chemical crop protection products and biorationals (*5). In the red bio (*4) field, it is contributing to human health through pharmaceutical development, CDMO (*6) services based on cell culture technologies, and regenerative medicine and cell therapy. In the white bio (*4) and gray bio (*4) fields, it is promoting sustainable manufacturing through the utilization of biomass-derived feedstock with organic synthesis technologies and omics technologies (*7).
Going forward, Sumitomo Chemical will continue to create value by leveraging chemical technologies and biotechnology, and contribute to solving society's challenges by providing innovative solutions.
(*1) An LCP produced using a principal raw material, a biomass derived monomer made from 100% biomass feedstock. The portion of the biomass-derived content of the bio-based LCP equivalent to our existing compounding grade, SUMIKASUPER E6008, is approximately 30% based on raw material weight.
(*2) A measurement of the total greenhouse gas emissions released during each stage of a product’s life cycle—from raw material procurement to manufacturing, use, and disposal—expressed in terms of the equivalent CO₂ emissions.
(*3) Based on an internal evaluation carried out by Sumitomo Chemical in accordance with ASTM International standards, the Company confirmed that, from the perspective of heat resistance, fluidity, and the mechanical properties of the material—the key characteristics that represent the advantages of LCP— LCP that contains a portion of monomer derived from biomass feedstock (bio-based LCP) is equivalent in quality to LCP made with conventional fossil-based feedstock.
(*4) Terms used to classify, by color, the fields in which biotechnology is applied: green for food and agriculture, red for medicine, white for industry and energy, and gray for the environment.
(*5) Microbial crop protection products derived from natural sources, plant growth regulators and rhizosphere microbial products, and solutions that use these products to protect crops from pests and diseases or improve crop quality and yield.
(*6) CDMO is an acronym of Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization, a business that undertakes process development and manufacturing for customers.
(*7) Technologies that comprehensively analyze biological molecules such as genes, proteins, and metabolites.
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Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
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