Sumitomo Chemical has hit a major milestone by manufacturing bio-based liquid crystal polymer (LCP) at a production scale. By using biomanufacturing technology to turn biomass feedstock into monomer, the global supplier is now setting up a mass-production system and is ready to start sharing product samples with customers.

Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) is a high-performance engineering plastic known for its exceptional heat resistance, natural flame retardancy, and superior fluidity. These properties make it a versatile choice for everything from smartphones and automotive parts to office automation equipment. While LCP has traditionally relied on fossil-based raw materials, the industry is increasingly shifting toward biomass feedstocks to lower its carbon footprint and support global sustainability goals.

To meet growing customer demand for sustainable materials, Sumitomo Chemical has advanced its work on bio-based liquid crystal polymer (LCP). Following the creation of mass-production technology in June 2025 and subsequent scale-up studies, the company confirmed via production-scale manufacturing that it can make LCP using biomass-derived monomers while matching the quality of standard fossil-based LCP.

The manufacturing process to produce the bio-based LCP used by Sumitomo Chemical adopts a segregation approach, in which biomass feedstock and non-biomass feedstock are kept completely separate from each other during production. This makes it possible to clearly quantify the amount of biomass feedstock included in the final product.

There is also another approach, known as mass balance, in which biomass feedstock and non-biomass feedstock are mixed together, and the characteristics of the biomass feedstock are allocated to part of the product output in proportion to the amount of biomass feedstock used. Sumitomo Chemical will assess the characteristics of each approach to utilize a method that best meets customer needs.

In the green bio field, Sumitomo Chemical is working toward the achievement of a regenerative society through both chemical crop protection products and biorationals. In the red bio field, it is contributing to human health through pharmaceutical development, CDMO services based on cell culture technologies, and regenerative medicine and cell therapy. In the white bio and gray bio fields, it is promoting sustainable manufacturing through the utilization of biomass-derived feedstock with organic synthesis technologies and omics technologies.