Key events

Established as Osaka Special Steel Manufacturing

Incorporated as Osaka Special Steel Manufacturing Co.

Commenced research into manufacture of titanium metal

Personnel concerned show their delight at the first titanium sponge manufactured in the pilot plant

Equity stake taken by Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Construction completed for titanium plant with monthly capacity of 25 tons

A test piece made from the batch described above

Commenced polycrystalline silicon research and development

Started production of polycrystalline silicon

Reactor for manufacturing clustered polycrystalline silicon

Silicon polycrystal manufactured by the reactor described above

Completed the magnesium chloride electrolysis plant

Inside the electrolysis plant

Completed 80,000 ampere electrolysis cell
Received MITI grant for unifying reduction and separation processes

First 80,000-ampere cell installed (Electrolysis cell)

Completed reduction/separation furnaces (2 ton batch)
Completed liquid chloride furnace

Liquid chloride furnace

Commenced operation of Integrated titanium U-furnace (5 ton batch)

Developers with a 4-ton batch manufactured in the first integrated furnace to be installed

Completed the new electrolysis cell (multi-polar cell method)

Completed the titanium ingot plant
Completed the new distillation plant

Completed titanium melting plant

Completed the new titanium sponge plant and started production in the new products plant

Newly completed titanium sponge plant (3S plant)

Completed the first phase of the polycrystalline silicon plant

Merged with Kyushu Electronic Metal Co., Ltd.

Changed the company name to Sumitomo Sitix Corporation

Amagasaki Plant received ISO9002 certification

Established Sitix of Amagasaki, Inc., a 100% subsidiary of Sumitomo to Sumitomo Titanium Corporation
Changed the trade name to Sumitomo Sitix of Amagasaki after business of Amagasaki manufacturing and technology units (titanium, polycrystalline silicon, new products) was transferred from Sumitomo Sitix Corporation.
Received ISO 14001 certification

Changed the trade name to Sumitomo Titanium Corporation

Completed capacity increase construction work at titanium sponge plant (increased annual production capacity from 15,000 tons to 18,000 tons)
Listed on the 2nd section of Tokyo Stock Exchange
Received AS9000 certification, transferred to ISO9001: 2000
Listed on first section of Tokyo Stock Exchange

Transferred from the 2nd section to the 1st section of Tokyo Stock Exchange

Increased annual production capacity for titanium sponge from 18,000 tons to 24,000 tons

Increased annual production capacity for polycrystalline silicon from 900 tons to 1,300 tons and started shipments
Changed the trade name to OSAKA Titanium technologies Co.,Ltd.

Purchased industrial site in the city of Kishiwada, Osaka
Increased annual production capacity for titanium sponge from 24,000 tons to 32,000 tons (based on actual production capacity of 31,000 tons), increased annual production capacity for polycrystalline silicon from 1,300 tons to 1,400 tons

Commenced operations at the Kishiwada Works
Completed the titanium ingot plant at the Kishiwada Works, boosting annual production capacity from 7,000 tons to 10,000 tons

Completed the new polycrystalline silicon plant at the Kishiwada Works, boosting annual production capacity to 3,600 tons
Increased annual production capacity for titanium sponge from 31,000 tons to 37,000 tons (based on actual production capacity)
Increased annual production capacity for titanium sponge from 37,000 tons to 40,000 tons (based on actual production capacity)

Reached cumulative titanium sponge production of 500,000 tons

Concentrated production at the Kishiwada Works for the polycrystalline silicon business (annual production capacity modified to 3,000 tons)

Concentrated production at the Amagasaki Plant for the titanium melting business (annual production capacity modified to 6,000 tons)

Reached cumulative titanium sponge production of 600,000 tons

Terminated production of polycrystalline silicon