What KCM Corporation does

KCM Corporation (共立マテリアル株式会社) is a Japanese specialty ceramic materials manufacturer founded in 1936 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Noritake Co., Ltd. since a 2012 stock-swap-led delisting. The company produces high-purity ceramic powders and raw materials across three principal categories: electronic-component ceramic materials (barium titanate, calcium titanate, strontium titanate, and other dielectric powders for MLCCs, capacitors, piezoelectric, and high-frequency applications), fine ceramic materials (high-purity zirconia including the proprietary Zadeite™ high-toughness grade, mullite, molybdenum disilicide via proprietary combustion synthesis, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, boron carbide, and engineered spherical/calcined aluminas), and traditional ceramic/glass raw materials (kaolin, ball clay, feldspar, Amakusa-mined pottery stone, silica, borax, and boric acid). Its technology stack centers on 80+ years of accumulated expertise in particle-size adjustment (tens of nm to 100 µm range), composition control at the 1/1000 mole level, surface treatment, and the proprietary Combustion Synthesis (SHS) method — making KCM the only Japanese firm operating SHS at commercial scale for non-oxide and intermetallic compounds.

The company serves electronics manufacturers (MLCC, 5G/6G substrates, semiconductor equipment), automotive (EV thermal management, structural zirconia parts), traditional ceramics and sanitary ware, glass makers, and emerging energy applications (SOFC, lithium-ion battery composites). KCM operates a B2B, sales-led model with dedicated General Sales and Technical Sales groups, plus a wholly-owned Taiwan subsidiary (est. 1990) for overseas distribution. Manufacturing is vertically distributed across Nagoya (headquarters and KZ Factory for high-purity zirconia), Seto (refined silica), Amakusa (pottery-stone mining), Yatomi (logistics), and Matsuzaka (KYORIX Mie electronic-components subsidiary). Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company employs approximately 399 people on a consolidated basis and is certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Recent strategic emphasis is on expanding from electronic-ceramics raw materials into filler materials for plastics and composites (via a dedicated microsite launched in February 2026), next-generation communications substrates, and energy-related applications.

Name

KCM Corporation

Legal name

KCM Corporation

Website

https://kyoritsu-kcm.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

KCM Corporation, established 1936, is a Japanese specialty ceramic materials manufacturer producing high-purity ceramic powders—barium titanate, zirconia, alumina, silica, mullite—for electronic components, automotive, semiconductor equipment, and traditional ceramics customers, operating as a wholly-owned Noritake Group subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Components Materials

NAICS

Clay Building Material and Refractories Manufacturing (327120), Kaolin, Clay, and Ceramic and Refractory Minerals Mining (212323), Clay Product and Refractory Manufacturing (3271), Pottery, Ceramics, and Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing (327110)

SIC

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810), Pottery & Related Products (3260), Plastics Products, Nec (3089)

akta.pro primary industry

Bentonite & Other Smectite Clays (IMAEAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Kaolin & Industrial Clay Mining (Bentonite, Ball Clay, Fuller’s Earth) (IMAKAGAJ)

Keywords

• Electronic components ceramics
• Ceramic raw materials
• Fine ceramic powders
• Zirconia materials
• Industrial filler materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagoya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electronic Components Ceramic Materials: Manufacturing and sales of ceramic materials for electronic components including barium titanate, calcium titanate, strontium titanate for MLCCs, capacitors, and high-frequency components. Core manufactured products with recurring demand from electronics industry.
2. Zirconia Raw Materials: High-purity zirconia powder manufacturing including partially stabilized, fully stabilized, and unstabilized grades for structural components, optical fiber connectors, and additives.
3. Ceramic and Glass Raw Materials: Sales of pottery, glass, and other ceramic raw materials including kaolin, clay, feldspar, silica, borax. Trading/sales business with imported materials from global suppliers.
4. Fine Ceramic Materials: High-purity zirconia, mullite, molybdenum disilicide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride for industrial applications.
5. Filler Materials: Ceramic fillers including spherical alumina, cordierite, calcium titanate for thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion, and high dielectric constant applications in plastics and composites.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KCM Corporation manufactures and sells high-purity ceramic powder materials including electronic components materials (barium titanate, calcium titanate, strontium titanate for MLCCs and high-frequency components), fine ceramics (high-purity zirconia including Zadeite™ high-toughness grade, mullite, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, spherical alumina, molybdenum disilicide), and ceramic/glass raw materials (kaolin, ball clay, feldspar, pottery stone from its owned Amakusa mine, silica, borax, boric acid). The company also supplies ceramic fillers for plastics and composites, serving electronics, automotive, semiconductor, fuel cell, tableware/sanitary ware, and glass manufacturers globally.

Product overview

KCM Corporation (共立マテリアル株式会社) is a ceramic materials manufacturer and trading company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Noritake Group, providing high-quality raw materials that support core industries. The product portfolio comprises three main categories: (1) Electronic Components Materials including the KYORIX series of barium titanate, calcium titanate, strontium titanate, and composite oxides for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC), high-frequency dielectric materials, SOFC materials, and lead-free piezoelectric materials; (2) Fine Ceramic Materials including high-purity zirconia (with Zadeite™ high-toughness grade), mullite, molybdenum disilicide (produced by unique combustion synthesis), silicon nitride, silicon carbide, boron carbide, and comprehensive alumina products (spherical, easy-to-sinter, calcined); and (3) Ceramic Raw Materials including kaolin, ball clay, feldspar, pottery stone (including company-owned Amakusa mine), silica, borax, and boric acid. Additionally, the company offers Nanomaterials (spherical silica, UV/IR cut materials, paper coating sol) developed with Korean partner Sukgyung AT, and Filler products for plastic enhancement including thermal conductivity fillers (alumina, silicon nitride), high-dielectric fillers (calcium titanate), and low thermal expansion fillers (zirconium phosphate, cordierite). The company also manufactures through subsidiary Kyorix Mie Co., Ltd. in Mie Prefecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High-Purity Barium Titanate (BaTiO₃) — KYORIX series High-purity fine-particle barium titanate powder with high crystallinity for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC), enabling miniaturization and higher capacitance in capacitors used in smartphones, automotive electronics, home appliances and communication devices.
• Calcium Titanate (CaTiO₃) Calcium titanate powder for ceramic capacitors and high-dielectric fillers, balancing high dielectric constant with low dielectric loss tangent; used in MLCC formulations and in high-frequency filler applications.
• Large Particle Calcium Titanate (CaTiO₃) Large particle size calcium titanate filler for 5G/6G communication substrates and high-frequency components, enabling high filling rates while suppressing viscosity increase of the compounded plastic/composite.
• Forsterite (2MgO·SiO₂) Synthetic forsterite powder with excellent high-frequency and low dielectric properties for substrates and capacitors in electronic components.
• Cordierite (2MgO·2Al₂O₃·5SiO₂) Cordierite powder with low thermal expansion and low dielectric loss for electronic components, semiconductor parts, and heat-resistant applications; also used as a low-thermal-expansion filler in plastics.
• Zirconium Phosphate (ZP) Low-thermal-expansion ceramic powder used as a filler for plastics, glass and glaze to control thermal expansion and improve dimensional accuracy; supplied as filler raw material.
• Zirconia (ZrO₂) Basic Grade High-purity zirconia powders including partially stabilized, fully stabilized and unstabilized grades for fine ceramics, optical components (optical fiber connectors) and structural parts.
• Zadeite™ High-Toughness Zirconia Grade Proprietary high-toughness zirconia grade with 2.4× higher fracture toughness than conventional zirconia, suppressing crack generation and growth for high-reliability structural components.
• Zirconia-Toughened Alumina (ZTA) Composite combining alumina's thermal properties with zirconia's superior mechanical strength for automotive and semiconductor equipment applications.
• Spherical Alumina (Al₂O₃) Spherical alumina powder available in particle sizes from 2.5 μm to 125 μm for thermal dissipation fillers in semiconductor packages and other thermal management applications.
• Easy-to-Sinter Alumina (Al₂O₃) Alumina powder with homogeneous submicron particle size control enabling easy sintering, for structural parts and semiconductor manufacturing equipment applications.
• Calcined Alumina (Al₂O₃) Calcined alumina with superior flowability for refractories, glass reinforcement and glaze materials.
• Aluminum Hydroxide (Al(OH)₃) High-whiteness aluminum hydroxide sourced via the Indonesian supply partnership, used for water treatment, flame retardants and glass applications.
• Silicon Nitride (Si₃N₄) Low-carbon silicon nitride powder via combustion synthesis for substrates, bearings, and thermal dissipation fillers.
• Silicon Carbide (SiC) High-purity silicon carbide powder for refractories, abrasives, and structural ceramics.
• Boron Carbide (B₄C) Boron carbide powder for fine ceramics, refractories, sapphire polishing, and neutron-shielding applications.
• Molybdenum Disilicide (MoSi₂) — SHS product Molybdenum disilicide produced via combustion synthesis (SHS), unique in Japan at commercial scale, used for high-temperature heating elements and other high-temperature applications.
• Mullite (3Al₂O₃·2SiO₂) High-purity mullite powder with excellent sintering properties for high-temperature conveyance rollers and structural components.
• Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Materials Complete lineup of oxide powders for SOFC components including cathodes (LSM, LSCF), electrolytes (YSZ, GDC), anodes, and interconnector (LaCrO₃).
• Lithium-Ion Battery Materials Composite oxide materials, including lithium titanate, for lithium-ion battery components.
• High-Frequency Materials High-Q dielectric materials with dielectric constants from 9 to 120 for GPS, Bluetooth, and antenna applications in 5G/6G communications.
• Capacitor Materials Combined ceramic capacitor materials for multilayer and general capacitors, including temperature-compensation (NP0/C0G) and high-dielectric-constant (X7R, Y5V) types.
• High-Purity Silica (SiO₂) High-purity silica (99.999% purity) for quartz crucibles, optical lenses, and semiconductor manufacturing, including TAM silica from Tasmania.
• Kaolin Kaolin grades including Eckalite, Australian, New Zealand halloysite, and European grades for ceramics, biomass, coatings, films, and resins.
• Ball Clay European ball clay with excellent water dispersion for casting molding, used in tableware, tiles, and refractories.
• Feldspar Potassium feldspar, Taisyu feldspar, sodium feldspar, and nepheline for tableware, tiles, glass, and refractories.
• Amakusa Pottery Stone Pottery stone from the company-owned Amakusa mine in Kumamoto, used for tableware, tiles, sanitary ware, and insulators.
• Borax U.S. Borax products including anhydrous borax, borax pentahydrate, and borax decahydrate for glass, fertilizers, detergents and flame retardants.
• Boric Acid (H₃BO₃) Boric acid and boric oxide from U.S. Borax for fertilizers, glass fibers, insulation, and anti-corrosion applications.
• Spherical Silica Nanoparticles (110nm) Spherical silica nanoparticles (~110 nm) with high purity (>99.9%) for dental materials, PET film fillers, and optical glass additives.
• UV/IR Cut Nanomaterials Zinc oxide (20–40 nm) and titanium oxide (50 nm) nanoparticles for UV and IR protection in cosmetics, plastics, and coatings.
• Paper Coating Sol (Alumina/Silica Nanosol) Alumina and silica nanosol (5.9–30 nm) for inkjet paper and glossy paper coatings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fine particle barium titanate enabling MLCC thickness reduction and layer count increase for smaller, higher-capacitance components
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.

• Nagoya Institute of TechnologystrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Naming rights partnership for campus shop (2026-2029). Promotes KCM brand among engineering students. Contains multiple Nagoya Institute of Technology alumni employees.
• KYORIX Mie Co., Ltd.coreOthers · 1 January 1992100% owned subsidiary established in 1992 for manufacturing ceramic materials for electronic components. Located in Mie Prefecture with 103 employees. Operates as core manufacturing arm within KCM Group.
• Taiwan KCM Company, LTD.coreOthers · 1 January 1990Subsidiary established in 1990 for sales of ceramic and industrial materials in Taiwan. Provides regional market access in Taiwan and broader Asian markets.
• PT Indonesia Chemical Alumina (ICA)strategicOthersIndonesian alumina manufacturer producing easy-to-sinter alumina, aluminum hydroxide, and calcined alumina for KCM. Ensures supply chain stability for aluminum-based raw materials.
• U.S. BoraxstrategicOthersSupplier of boric acid, anhydrous borax, and borax products for glass and ceramic raw materials. Products include borax pentahydrate, decahydrate, and anhydrous forms.
• SukgyungAT (Korea)strategicTechnology or IntegrationTechnical partnership for nanomaterial development including spherical silica, UV/IR cut materials, and paper coating sols. Developed nanomaterials with advanced properties for various applications.
• Noritake Co., LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and founding partner. KCM was established from Noritake's raw materials division in 1936. Became wholly-owned subsidiary of Noritake in 2012. Member of Noritake Group.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tokuyama Corporation: Japanese inorganic chemicals producer including high-purity silica, aluminum compounds, and electronic materials. Comparable to KCM's electronic-ceramics and specialty powders portfolio.
• Imerys S.A. Global leader in mineral-based specialty solutions including kaolin, ball clay, and functional fillers. Directly comparable to KCM's kaolin/feldspar/ball-clay distribution business and ceramic filler materials.
• Toyo Aluminium K.K. Japanese producer of specialty aluminum powders including spherical alumina used in thermal-management fillers for electronics. Competes with KCM's spherical alumina line in semiconductor/thermal-filler markets.
• Nippon Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd. Long-standing Japanese producer of barium titanate and other titanate powders used as MLCC dielectric raw materials, directly overlapping KCM's flagship electronic-components ceramics business.
• Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Japanese specialty chemicals manufacturer with electronic-materials and ceramic-powder lines (titanates, zirconia, catalysts). Competes with KCM in inorganic powders for capacitors and electronic components.
• Maruwa Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of fine ceramics (alumina, zirconia) and electronic components for automotive and communications. Overlaps with KCM's fine ceramic materials lines.
• Nihon Ceratec Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of ceramic substrates, components, and electronic ceramics using alumina, zirconia, and other oxide powders. Uses overlapping raw-material chemistries and serves shared electronics customers.

Broad incumbents

• Resonac Holdings (formerly Showa Denko): Large Japanese specialty chemicals/materials group with established ceramic, electronic-materials, and powder product lines. Broader portfolio than KCM but overlapping in MLCC and capacitor dielectrics.
• Noritake Co., Limited: KCM's parent company and a major Japanese ceramics industrial group. While the corporate parent, Noritake also operates abrasives and grinding wheel businesses that sit adjacent to ceramic powder markets.

Others

• NGK Insulators, Ltd. One of KCM's three founding shareholders (via Nihon Gaishi) and a major Japanese ceramics manufacturer with automotive catalyst substrates, ceramic filters, and industrial process equipment. Industry-ecosystem peer rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KCM Corporation