Strategic Partnership for Developing New Applications and Demand for Nano-carbon Material, Graphene

Marubeni Corporation, (hereinafter, “Marubeni ”), Marubeni Tetsugen Co., Ltd, (hereinafter, “Marubeni Tetsugen”), and NiSiNa materials Co. Ltd. (hereinafter, “Nishina materials”) have entered into a Strategic Partnership Agreement today, with the aim of developing new applications and opening up demand for graphene, a nano-carbon material(* 1) manufactured via a new method developed by Nishina materials.

Graphene is a monolayer of graphite (with a thickness of 1 nanometer) stripped off and has a molecular structure in which a large number of carbon atoms are bonded in a honeycomb shape on a plane. It is a nano-carbon material with high strength, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and low friction, and because of these characteristics, it is expected to be applied in a wide range of fields such as electrodes, catalysts, heat dissipation materials, and lubricants. Graphene is generally manufactured by mechanical peeling or using an oxidant, but Nishina materials’s proprietary method does not use oxidants, and instead focuses on superior mechanical peeling technology. For this reason, this new process is very safe with a low environmental load. In the future, we aim to improve production efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs through mass production, something that has historically been an issue for graphene production.

Marubeni and Marubeni Tetsugen, together with Nishina materials, will contribute to the spread of graphene by promoting the development of new applications and demand for graphene by utilizing Marubeni’s and Marubeni Tetsugen’s global business network.

(*1) nano-carbon material: An allotrope of nanometer-sized carbon such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, fullerenes.

Company Profile

Company Name Marubeni Corporation

President and CEO Masumi Kakinoki

Office Tokyo Nihombashi Tower, 7-1, Nihonbashi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-6060, Japan

Incorporated December, 1949

Main Business

Marubeni Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries use their broad business networks, both within Japan and overseas, to conduct importing and exporting (including third country trading), as well as domestic business, encompassing a diverse range of business activities across wide-ranging fields including lifestyle, ICT & real estate business, forest products, food, agri business, chemicals, power business, energy, metals & mineral resources, plant, aerospace & ship, finance & leasing business, construction, auto & industrial machinery, and next generation business development. Additionally, the Marubeni Group offers a variety of services, makes internal and external investments, and is involved in resource development throughout all of the above industries.

Website https://www.marubeni.com/en/

Company Name Marubeni Tetsugen Co., Ltd.

President Hiroshi Okado

Office 1-21 Agebacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0824 Japan

Incorporated July, 1981

Main Business

Domestic sales and import and export of raw materials for the production of iron & steel, minerals, powder metallurgy materials, special metals, etc.

Website https://www.marubeni-tetsugen.co.jp/en/

Company Name NiSiNa materials Co. Ltd.

CEO Yuta Nishina

Office2-6-20-3 Kitagata, Kita-ku, Okayama-city, Okayama, 700-0803 Japan

Incorporated November, 2012

Main Business

Nanomaterial development, manufacturing, sales, consulting.

Website http://nisina-materials.com/englishver/