Developer K | Yamada Chemical Co., Ltd.

Development Mr. K

To new uses
functional pigments

Take on the challenge of development
Development - K. - Joined in 2021

◆ Motivation for joining the company

At university, I conducted research on nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds. While I was in school, I wanted to work in organic synthesis in the future, so I was looking for a company. At large companies, you may not be able to do organic synthesis because you don't know where you will be assigned, but at Yamada Chemical, you will be assigned to either the development department or the production technology department, and I learned that I could do organic synthesis in both, and that was the deciding factor. Another reason I decided to join Yamada Chemical was that I would not be transferred to another prefecture.

◆Current job

Currently, I belong to the Development Department. The Development Division develops new pigment compounds that will become future products and considers synthetic formulas for existing pigments. Specifically, in order to ensure that the performance of the dyes we handle reaches the performance required by our customers, we synthesize new dyes by designing molecules while referring to literature such as patents and papers. The synthesized dye is then evaluated, the molecules are designed and synthesized based on the evaluation results, and the evaluation is repeated.

We also conduct synthetic studies of compounds whose molecular structures are specified by our customers. The scale of the synthesis I handle varies from a few grams to about 1 kg.

◆Work satisfaction/experience stories

I feel fulfilled when I am able to synthesize a sample that meets the customer's needs.
Even materials with similar molecular structures and the same color tone may not be able to achieve the desired performance depending on the composition and conditions used by the customer. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I correct these shortcomings little by little and find the desired performance. I haven't had much experience since joining the company, but I'm looking forward to experiencing a different kind of fun when a customer's product using the material I proposed goes on the market.

◆Future vision

My current goal is to be independent. When it comes to development, I consult with my superiors and senior colleagues to decide on the direction, but at the moment I am still lacking in experience, so I am not able to advance much based on my own opinions. My goal is to increase this percentage.

I want to accumulate enough knowledge, experience, and skills that people will say that if you leave things to me, you'll be fine.

◆Charm of Yamada Chemical

At Yamada Chemical, you are often assigned a responsible job from your first year on the job, allowing you to experience a variety of jobs.

In my case, I was assigned a contract synthesis project that had a delivery deadline several months after I was assigned. Although it was a compound that we had no experience in synthesizing in-house, with the support of our senior colleagues, we were able to successfully deliver it. Currently, the samples from that time are on the scale of several tens of kilograms, and I have experience in prototyping and process control using large manufacturing equipment. One of the attractive things about working here is that you can gain a lot of experience, and because it is a compact company, you are close to your superiors and seniors and can talk about anything.

◆A word from a senior

Mr. T joined in 2018
I work on a wide range of tasks while involving those around me.

I am in charge of a wide range of tasks, from proposing and synthesizing new materials to kilo-scale manufacturing, and am actively working with section staff to solve problems for each theme. We communicate well with other departments and work smoothly. With his bright personality, we hope that he will play an active role in the future as someone who will liven up the company.

◆To everyone who will join the company from now on

I think job hunting is one of the important things for your future life, but please don't neglect the specialized studies you are studying.
It is unlikely that you will be able to actually use what you study at work.
Even so, I think there will come a time when I can make use of the specialized knowledge I learned during my student days. Even if you can't find such a situation, I think it's not a waste of effort.