Showa Denko completes high-purity aluminum foil plant in China

Showa Denko has completed a new plant in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, China, for producing high-purity aluminum foil for electrolytic capacitors. A completion ceremony was held at the site on October 11. Showa Denko Aluminum (Nantong) Co., Ltd., SDK’s subsidiary established in November 2011, will begin commercial production at the new plant by the end of this month.

Unlike aluminum foil for food packaging, the production of capacitor-grade aluminum foil is based on high-purity aluminum metal refined to 99.9% or more. SDK’s Sakai Plant, in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, is an integrated high-purity aluminum foil production site, covering all stages from refinement of aluminum metal to rolling and finishing. The new plant in Nantong City will process rolled foil supplied from the Sakai Plant into finished product, providing high-purity aluminum foil to customers in all parts of China in a timely manner.

Aluminum electrolytic capacitors are used in wide areas, including electric appliances, IT devices, electric vehicles, hybrid cars, and equipment for solar/wind power generation.

Demand for aluminum electrolytic capacitors is growing in emerging markets, with annual growth rates estimated at about 10% through 2015. In particular, a rapid growth is expected in China for such applications as environment-friendly cars and power conditioners for solar power generation.

The Showa Denko Group will aim to expand the business in Japan and the Asian market, centering on China, by ensuring stable supply of high-quality, high-purity aluminum foil.