Social Activities

Laboratory Classes on the Wonders of Chemistry

Point three in the Mitsui Chemicals Group Social Activities Policy is, “Do its bit to nurture future generations, on whose shoulders the future rests.” In order to further this goal on a global basis, the Mitsui Chemicals Group launched the Laboratory Classes on the Wonders of Chemistry program. Since 2006, we have organized various types of classes, from off-site classes, whereby members of staff from each of our sites go out to local schools, summer vacation events and festivals, to those held during tours round our works and research centers.
Approximately 5,000 children took part in classes over the course of fiscal 2017.

Taking into account the interests and opinions of the participants, the Laboratory Class themes are determined and developed by the Head Office and the Sodegaura Center. The Head Office also provides support for the creation and maintenance of manuals allowing development of the program at domestic and overseas group locations.

In recognition of these activities, we received the Catalysis Society of Japan’s 2015 Award for Education and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Award for Companies Promoting Experience-based Learning Activities for the Youth (Judge’s Commendation) in the large corporation category for 2015. In addition, we registered with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Support Group for Saturday Educational Activities Program and are working to spread education to even more children.

Holding our first Laboratory Classes on the Wonders of Chemistry in Mexico

Group affiliate Advanced Composites Mexicana (ACP-M) held Laboratory Classes on the Wonders of Chemistry at the company’s annual Family Day on 26 August 2017. While this was the first time these classes were held in Mexico, the local workers were able to benefit from the experience of Head Office staff to assure safety, procure the necessary materials, and translate manuals written in Japanese into Spanish. The children watched carefully as they learned how a liquid can turn into a solid and appear to have enjoyed the experience and the wonders of chemistry.
Looking ahead, we will also extend Laboratory Classes on the Wonders of Chemistry to each of the Mitsui Chemicals Group’s bases.

A laboratory class in Mexico

Laboratory Class on the Wonders of Chemistry Held in Sunagawa City, Hokkaido

Affiliate Hokkaido Mitsui Chemicals Co., Ltd. jointly held a Laboratory Class on the Wonders of Chemistry with the City of Sunagawa, Hokkaido, on May 20, 2017.
Having invited Dr. Akira Suzuki (Emeritus Professor of Hokkaido University), who had won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2010, 80 elementary school pupils from the city participated.
Prior to the laboratory class, Professor Suzuki gave a lecture entitled “The Fun of Study and Research.” He spoke about how he himself had studied chemistry and followed a researcher’s path. His message was for the children to seek to have interests and to study them widely for future possibilities, and to make friends overseas.
With the cooperation of students from Sunagawa High School, experiments were conducted for the laboratory class to, for example, identify a liquid with an indicator made from red cabbage and create a blowing agent for bath use from baking soda and citric acid. The children who took part gave feedback comments that included: “We found out that the properties of an aqueous solution can be distinguished by color change using an indicator,” “Although I’m no good at science, I enjoyed taking part,” and “I would like to do chemistry in the future.”

The laboratory class in which even Professor Suzuki took part

Professor Suzuki with the children and others who kindly took part

Laboratory Classes on the Wonders of Chemistry Experiments

*: Experiment titles are subject to change.

No.	Experiment title	Field		Related Group products	Description
1	Foamy urethane experiment	Chemistry	Chemical reactions	Isocyanate Polyol	Participants watch urethane, the uses of which include cushion materials, pillows and refrigerator insulation, being foamed and experience reaction heat and differences in hardness
2	Slime ・Making your own slime ・Making jumbo slime together ・Shiny slime ・Slime ball	Chemistry	Polymer properties		By making "slime" (i.e. cross-linking polyvinyl alcohol with water using borax), participants learn that water can be confined and about the gels around us in our everyday lives
3	Light experiments with polarizing plate	Physics	Light		Participants learn about the passage of light through a kaleidoscope fitted with a polarizing plate that converts natural light into linear light, as used in mobile phones and other such devices
4	Chromatography art	Chemistry	Adsorption and separation		Participants learn that the ink in a water-based pen contains a mixture of various different colors (pigments)
5	Plastic board	Chemistry	Polymer properties	General plastics	Participants learn about the properties and separation of plastics, by using the heat shrinkable properties of polystyrene to make their own original accessories
6	Let’s make Cartesian divers!	Physics	Buoyancy		Participants learn about buoyancy and pressure, by making a Cartesian diver from a PET bottle and a plastic soy sauce container
7	Let’s investigate the properties of aqueous solutions using red cabbage	Chemistry	Acids and alkalis		Using anthocyanin extracted from red cabbage, participants investigate the properties of everyday liquids and learn about acids and alkalis
8	Let’s make an air freshener using spongy polymers	Chemistry	Polymer properties	Nonwoven fabrics	Participants learn about the principle of water retention, by making an air freshener from a water-absorbing polymer, as used in disposable diapers, gardening supplies and other such products
9	Let’s make a rainbow tower	Physics	Specific gravity		Participants learn about the specific gravity (relative density) of fluids, by pouring colored waters with varying concentrations together to make a tower
10	Let's make a freezer!	Chemistry	Heat of solution	Urea	Participants learn about the principle of heat adsorption via the heat of solution of urea, as used in such products as fertilizer and moisturizing cream
11	Learn how bubble bath works!	Chemistry	Reaction of acid and salt		Participants learn about how carbon dioxide is produced, by making bubble bath from baking soda and citric acid
12	Learn about acid rain!	Chemistry	Acid and alkali Oxidation/reduction		Participants learn about acid rain and what causes it, by measuring the pH using red cabbage extract and conducting a bleaching experiment using iodine
13	Let's make paper!	Technology	Recycling / Making paper	Acrylamide	Using everyday implements, participants experience paper recycling from old paper and learn about papermaking and recycling
14	Let's make small objects from melted plastic!	Chemistry	Polymer properties	General thermoplastics	Participants learn about the properties of thermoplastics, which melt when heated, by using a glue gun to melt resin and make small objects
15	Experience the wonders of shrinking films!	Chemistry	Polymer properties	Films, PET, etc.	Participants learn about the principle of heat shrinkage, by using shrinkable film to attach labels and make their own PET bottle
16	See the power of air!	Physics	Hydrodynamics		Participants learn about air resistance, by observing air rings emitted from an air cannon
17	Let's make snow on pine cones!	Chemistry	Crystals	Urea	Participants learn about crystal deposition, by observing dissolved urea being sprayed onto pinecones and drying
18	Let's make light like a firefly!	Chemistry	Enzymes		Participants learn about the difference between bioluminescence and chemiluminescence by making light using each of luciferase enzymes taken from fireflies and using mineral-based chemicals
19	Let’s try and absorb oil!	Chemistry	Polymer properties	TAFNEL^™, Oil Blotter^™	Participants learn about the principles and how to use adsorbent materials, by absorbing only the oil from mixed oil and water substances They also learn about the impact on the environment of oil spillage
20	Expand? Shrink? Disappear?! Let’s look into the properties of mystery plastics!	Chemistry	Polymer properties	Absortomer^™	Participants learn about the properties of a variety of plastic films, by taking steps to expand, shrink, and dissolve various plastics. They also learn about changes in polymers (plastics) attributable to temperatures