Boiler malfunction idles Zeon operations in Japan, restart date set

TOKUYAMA, Japan—Zeon Corp. will resume operations Feb. 1 after a two-week shutdown caused by a malfunction in its boiler facilities.

Shipments will follow after upstream operations begin, Zeon said in a Jan. 27 release. Sales representative for the various regions supplied by the chemical manufacturer will announce when the shipments begin.

"Every effort will be made to ensure safety first in resuming operations, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as the necessary steps are taken," Zeon said. "Related business divisions will be responding as appropriate for affected products, and we will promptly disclose any matters that may arise.

"We sincerely apologize for causing any concern or inconvenience within the neighboring community or among other parties."

Zeon suspended operations at its Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture plant Jan. 15 after a temporary discharge stack, installed to maintain operations while the main discharge stack was being reinforced, malfunctioned.

The cause was determined to be the material out of which the temporary discharge stack was made, according to Zeon.

"In early January, fallen debris (iron rust) discharged from the stack was observed on the premises of Zeon and of an adjacent company," Zeon stated. "After investigating the cause of the problem and implementing countermeasures, Zeon determined that a complete solution could not be reached and decided to temporarily shut down the boiler facilities."

And since the boiler supplies electricity, steam and other important power sources for the facility, the entire plant—except for safety equipment—was affected.

As operations resume, Zeon plans to use the existing stack even as reinforcements proceed on the chimney, pending a current review of the restart plan.

"Zeon has confirmed that both the existing and temporary stack are functioning properly and that emission data, such as soot concentration, is within the normal range," Zeon said. "Since the fallen debris is large enough to be confirmed visually, it is unlikely to remain floating in the air, and the risk of inhaling it is considered low.

"The area within the range of (earlier) falling debris is also limited at this time."

Zeon produces specialty elastomers, polymers and chemicals.

Customers should direct further inquiries to the sales representatives of Elastomers Sales and Marketing; Elastomers Division (synthetic rubbers, synthetic latices); Sales and Marketing, C5 Chemicals Division (polymerized toner); and the CNT Division (single-walled nanotubes).

• Zeon is expanding its manufacturing facility in Pasadena, Calif., to increase production capacity for hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR), a move that was announced in November.

The Japanese supplier said that the expansion project will increase its global HNBR output by 25 percent and is set for completion at the beginning of 2025.

Zeon manufactures Zetpol-branded HNBR at production plants in Pasadena, and Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Japan.

• The Japanese group last expanded HNBR capacity at its Texas plant in 2020 and at the Takaoka facility in March.

The specialty rubber is used in a variety of demanding application in oil and gas, automotive, and industrial applications.

The Tokyo group expects market demand for HNBR-based cathode binders to increase due to growing adoption of electric vehicles.

• And in October 2022, Zeon took a step toward helping tire makers make sure they have the kind of sustainable synthetic rubbers they need.

Zeon Chemicals Singapore, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Zeon Corp., signed a memorandum of understanding with Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte.) Ltd. that would ensure the supply of biomass-derived butadiene for the production of Zeon's SSBR.

Zeon's headquarters are located in Chiyoda-ku in Tokyo.