Japan's Zeon advances bio-based materials with Visolis partnership

Zeon Corporation (Zeon; head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tetsuya Toyoshima) signed a memorandum of understanding with Visolis, Inc. (Visolis; California, U.S.A.; President and CEO: Deepak Dugar) on March 30, 2024, to advance the commercialization of products, including bio-isoprene monomers and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Zeon had announced its investment in Visolis through its venture capital arm Zeon Ventures Inc. (California, U.S.A.; representative: Yoshihiro Kagawa) in February 2023, and the latest agreement will accelerate its efforts to realize a sustainable society.

Bio-isoprene monomers are used as a raw material for products such as bio-isoprene rubber, bio-styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (bio-SIS), and SAF. The material is expected to contribute significantly to transforming Zeon’s “monozukuri" manufacturing to realize carbon neutrality and a circular economy as a Groupwide strategy under its STAGE 30 Medium-Term Business Plan. Bio-isoprene monomers and SAF will be manufactured from biomass materials through a combination of biological catalysis(fermentation) and chemical catalysis drawing upon Visolis’ patented cutting-edge technology. In this context, Zeon recently accomplished a world first by synthesizing bio-SIS using bio-isoprene monomers produced through Visolis’ proprietary technology, while Visolis has concurrently achieved a 50-fold increase in its production capacity of bio-isoprene monomers.

Under this agreement, the two companies will investigate the feasibility of commercializing bio-isoprene monomers and SAF. Additionally, Zeon will begin providing evaluation samples to potential customers in markets with a high demand for bio-based materials like footwear, tires, etc.

Looking ahead, Zeon remains committed to contributing to a sustainable Earth and safe and comfortable life for people through its unique technologies, products and services.

Note: The content of this press release has not been edited by Fibre2Fashion staff.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)