Showa Denko ups high-purity aluminum foils capacity in China

Showa Denko (SDK) has decided to expand its capacity to produce high-purity aluminum foils for aluminum electrolytic capacitors in China. It will increase productive capacity of Showa Denko Aluminum (Nangtong) (SDAN) from 400 tons a month at present to 600 tons a month. SDK plans to start operation of the expanded plant in January, 2015.

As SDK Group's local production base, SDAN has been conducting final processing of rolled foils as intermediate products supplied from SDK's Sakai Plant to provide our customers in China with high-purity aluminum foils in a timely manner. SDAN started its commercial production in September, 2013. SDK decided to increase the productive capacity of SDAN in order to respond to the expanding Chinese market of high-purity aluminum foils for high voltage use(1) produced by SDAN, due mainly to increasing demand for aluminum electrolytic capacitors applied to industrial equipment. The combined production capacity of high-purity aluminum foils of the Sakai Plant and SDAN continues to be 3,000 tons a month, as in the past.

Aluminum electrolytic capacitors are used in wide areas, including electric appliances, IT devices, electric vehicles, hybrid cars and equipment for power generation with renewable energy sources. Especially in China, the demand for aluminum electrolytic capacitors is expected to increase in the application to power conditioners for environment friendly cars and solar power generation.

The Showa Denko Group will aim to respond to the expansion of the global market of aluminum electrolytic capacitors in a timely manner, by ensuring stable supply of high-quality, high-purity aluminum foils.

(1) Electrolytic foils made from 99.99% purity of aluminum or higher. It has a withstanding voltage of 200V or higher.