日本材料技研 announced that its development proposal for a low-thermal-expansion thermoplastic resin composite had been selected for the FY2026 New Product and New Technology Development Grant Program. The company will use the negative thermal expansion material BNFO to advance development of a resin composite with high dimensional stability for optical communications connectors.
日本材料技研株式会社 announced that its proposed project, “Development of a Low-Thermal-Expansion Thermoplastic Resin Composite,” had been selected for the FY2026 New Product and New Technology Development Grant Program implemented by the Tokyo Metropolitan Small and Medium Enterprise Support Center. The grant program provides subsidies for part of the research and development costs of new products and technologies.
Under the project, the company aims to apply a thermoplastic resin composite made by combining the negative thermal expansion material BNFO with PPS resin to optical communications connectors, thereby reducing dimensional changes caused by temperature fluctuations. BNFO is an inorganic material that contracts as temperature rises, and combining it with conventional inorganic fillers is expected to produce a lower thermal expansion coefficient.
Internal temperature changes caused by heat generated by optical communications equipment and data centers can create minute positional shifts between optical fibers, potentially resulting in communication losses. Dimensional stability in components is therefore considered important. Materials with high loadings of fillers exhibiting positive thermal expansion have traditionally been used, but further reductions in thermal expansion have been difficult to achieve.
日本材料技研 is pursuing a new combination of BNFO and PPS resin with the aim of realizing a highly dimensionally stable material for optical communications connectors. Through the grant, the company is expected to accelerate commercialization and contribute to industrial revitalization in Tokyo.