TOKYO—Kuraray's elastomers business unit is raising prices for a range of materials in all regions, effective Oct. 1.
The increase of 44 cents per kilogram covers all of the company's Septon, Hybrar and TU-Polymer elastomers.
This is the fifth time in less than a year that Kuraray is raising prices for the same elastomers, with the most recent hike coming at the beginning of this month.
The company introduced similar price increases on the materials at the start of December last year and in February and April this year.
Kuraray said the increasing feedstock prices, utility and logistics costs had "reached to the level beyond unilaterally absorbable by self-saving efforts."
This time, it said, it is necessary to recover a portion of these increases to ensure ongoing supply and new product innovation.
Septon is a recyclable thermoplastic rubber that "possesses high elasticity, high strength, weather resistance, low temperature properties, chemical resistance (acid, alkali, alcohol), heat aging resistance, and electrical property (insulation)," according to Kuraray's website.
The material can be used in various applications including automotive parts, medical parts, toys and sporting goods.
Hybrar is a triblock co-polymer with polystyrene end blocks and a vinyl bonded rich polydiene mid-block. The polymer has "high vibration damping and shock absorption properties," and can be processed in a variety of forms, including films, tubes and injection molding.
