TOKYO (Nikkei)--Maruzen Petrochemical Co. will no longer manufacture two resins, including a diaper adhesive material in which it held a 60% domestic market share.
The firm's Chiba Prefecture plant that makes Marukaclear, a liquid resin used in diaper adhesives, and Marukarez, used in traffic paint, has been out of operation since the March 11 earthquake. An ink-processing facility that takes on the massive amount of byproducts from the manufacturing process is not slated to come back onstream until June 2012.
Maruzen Petrochemical has determined that resuming output of the two resins would erode the plant's overall profitability.
"Users have taken such steps as switching to imports, so there is no problem with supply," a company official says.
(The Nikkei July 7 morning edition)