About Our Divisions
Engineering department
Squarely focused on the demands of the times,
we provide cutting-edge materials.
Today, modern society demands environmentally-conscious products (energy-saving products represented by electric vehicles, hybrid cars, etc. as well as products utilizing recycling technology). In addition to this, with Japan’s rapid transformation into an aging/welfare society, the development of products to address these issues (such as small sized commuter vehicles and robots for nursing and assistance) continues to progress.
As a manufacturer specializing in the delivery of cutting-edge materials, Santoku has consistently and continually created a wide range of products. With the high demand for cutting-edge materials ever-growing, we have taken it as our mission to deliver high performance, high added value materials and will continue to advance product development that is squarely focused on the needs of the times.
Timeline of Santoku's technological developments
Santoku has applied for and now possesses approximately 100 domestic patents and 200 international patents.
| 1937 | Began manufacturing iron alloys for Ferro-molybdenum, Ferro-vanadium, etc. |
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| 1938 | Began manufacturing Ferro-tungsten, Ferro-titanium and chromium metals. |
| 1943 | Began manufacturing metal calcium. |
| 1946 | Succeeded in the development of technology for rare earth chloride molten salt electrolysis and began the industrial manufacture of lighter flint. |
| 1949 | Began manufacturing alumina powder for thermite using the atomizing method. |
| 1956 | Established a large scale mass production system for misch metal. |
| 1959 | Introduced a 3kg high frequency vacuum melting furnace. |
| 1961 | Introduced a 50kg high frequency vacuum melting furnace. |
| 1972 | Succeeded in the world’s first production of misch metal using the molten oxide electrolysis process. |
| 1979 | Industrial manufacture of samarium by heat reduction distillation. |
| 1981 | Mass production of samarium cobalt magnet alloys. |
| 1986 | Began the mass production of neodymium iron boron-based magnet alloys. |
| 1989 | Industrial manufacture of samarium by heat reduction distillation (for samarium cobalt magnet alloys). |
| 1990 | Began the manufacture and sale of rare earth nickel-based hydrogen-absorbing alloys. |
| 1992 | Acquired a patent for Santoku’s Strip Casting Process. |
| 1999 | Began production of a compound for bonded magnets. |
| 2000 | Began the mass production of lithium rechargeable battery cathode active materials. |
| 2004 | Began the production and sale of lithium foil. |
| 2011 | Granted a subsidy for promoting the advancement of industries using rare metals for reductions to the usage of rare earth oxides found in the co-catalysts of automotive exhaust cleaning three-way catalysts. |
| 2012 | Began joint research for the NEDO project on developing technology to promote the practical application of solid polymer fuel cells in the development of anion conducting inorganic layered oxide fuel cells. |
| 2014 | Conducted contracted research on “Extraction and Recovery Methods for Rare Earths” for the “Development Technology Survey for Dressing and Refining Rare Earths” and carried out a Development Technology Survey for Rare Earth Deposits related to OGMEC-contracted “Deep Sea-floor Resource Surveys”. |
