Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. (MCC; Tokyo) recently decided to acquire two German carbon-fiber recycling companies, CFK Valley Stade Recycling GmbH & Co. KG (CFK) and carboNXT GmbH (carboNXT), through its subsidiary Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials AG (MCAM; Zurich, Switzerland), as a part of the company’s efforts to promote the circular economy. The acquisition is slated for completion around early August.
Based on the MCHC Group’s medium- to long-term basic management strategy KAITEKI Vision 30, MCC views the circular economy as a key element in its realization of KAITEKI*2, and in-house product recycling is an important initiative within this strategy.
CFK has its own network to collect leftover materials generated during the molding of intermediate materials such as carbon fiber prepreg, mainly from customers in mobility-related industries, and also draws on its advanced proprietary technology to recycle these materials into usable forms of carbon fiber. In turn, carboNXT sells these CFK-recycled products.
MCC has also acquired c-m-p GmbH, a carbon fiber prepreg manufacturer, as well as the Minger Group of engineering plastics recycling companies. With the latest acquisition, MCC will establish a chain from the manufacture of carbon fibers and carbon fiber composites to collection and recycling of products, in Europe, following Japan, where the chain has already been established. In the future, MCC will offer total solutions including product recycling to customers, by using recycled products as raw materials within the group.
Going forward, the company will continue to strengthen its capability to propose solutions to users as a leader in the carbon fiber composite industry and will contribute to the realization of a recycling-based society.