Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. manufactures and sells polyvinyl chloride (PVC), semiconductor devices, silicones, and rare earth magnets worldwide. The company operates through PVC/Chlor-Alkali; Semiconductor Silicon; Silicones; Electronics and Functional Materials; Specialty Chemicals; and Processing, Trading & Specialized Services segments. It offers PVC for use in PVC pipes, plastic greenhouses, electric wire coating materials, vinyl windows, and siding materials; caustic soda for use in alumina, paper and pulp, soap and detergents, and super-absorbent polymers; sodium hypochlorite; methanol; and chloromethane. The company also provides semiconductor silicon wafers for use as substrate materials in electronic devices and automobiles; and compound semiconductor products for outdoor displays, traffic lights, in-vehicle stop lamps, sensor light sources, etc. In addition, it offers silicone products for use in electric and electronic, automobile, construction, cosmetic, chemical, health care, and food industries; rare earth magnets used in automobile motors, industrial robots, home appliances, and hard disk drives; photoresists, photomask blanks, encapsulation materials, and pellicles; synthetic quartz products; and liquid fluoroelastomers. Further, the company provides cellulose derivatives for use in various applications, such as pharmaceuticals, food, construction materials, engineering projects, coatings, ceramics, paper processing, cosmetics, and toiletries applications; synthetic pheromones for agricultural pest control; POVAL, a functional resin; and silicon metal. Additionally, it offers automobile dashboard audio and air conditioners, silicon rubber glasses and catheters, wafer cases, various rollers for OA equipment, and vacuum superposition equipment. The company was formerly known as Shin-Etsu Nitrogen Fertilizer Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. in 1940. The company was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
