en.Wedoany.com Reported - Zeon Corporation has approved a new investment in its GPI unit at the Mizushima Plant in Kurashiki, expanding the production capacity of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) by approximately 20%. DCPD is a key raw material for cyclo olefin polymer (COP) and COP optical films, which represent the company's fastest-growing business segments; the material is also used in high-value-added fields such as RIM composite materials and is regarded as a core component of Zeon's "STAGE30" mid-term strategy.
The new process ensures a stable supply of DCPD without increasing the output of commodity chemical feedstocks such as pentadiene, while utilizing previously unused components, and is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions more effectively than traditional C5 fraction extraction methods. Zeon stated that this initiative aims to balance supply security with carbon neutrality goals. The Mizushima Plant, which began operations in 1969, is the company's flagship site for processing C5 fractions using its proprietary GPI technology, with products including isoprene, DCPD, pentadiene, and 2-butyne, serving downstream sectors such as synthetic rubber, resins, optical materials, and flavors and fragrances.
The expansion project is scheduled to commence in the second half of fiscal year 2026 and be completed in September 2028. Zeon noted that this investment falls under the "selection and concentration" strategy within the "STAGE30" framework, with COP and COP optical films established as core growth engines. The company also revealed that it is simultaneously advancing a production capacity expansion project for next-generation optical film materials to meet growing global demand, and stated that it will continue to "meet market needs and societal expectations, contributing to a more comfortable life worldwide."
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