Returning Tire Technology Expo exhibitor Zeon and its daughter company ZS Elastomers produce synthetic rubber, with a focus on S-SBR and Li-BR, which are mainly used for high-performance passenger car tire applications.
Dr Marcus Santoso, commercial manager of S-SBR/Li-BR/ACM/ECO, explained Zeon’s presence at the show: “Tire Technology Expo has over the years crystallized into a unique event worldwide, becoming a place where technology suppliers and tire manufacturers can meet. It is the meeting point of various stakeholders in the industry, which provides a synergy of scientific and market trends annually. Having been an exhibitor at the show since 2017, Zeon sees the importance of participating actively in the event.”
As a chemical manufacturer, Zeon considers achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 a top priority. To reach this goal, the company has developed a comprehensive masterplan for carbon neutrality, a key component of its medium-term business strategy (Stage 30). This strategy emphasizes transforming manufacturing processes to achieve carbon neutrality and promote a circular economy.
ZS Elastomers, a joint venture between Zeon and Sumitomo Chemicals, has shifted toward sustainable raw materials to align with the strategy.
Santoso explained, “In 2021, under the medium-term business plan, we set up the corporate strategy around a vision of a company that lives up to societal expectations and the aspirations of its employees, based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN. Carbon neutrality embedded in the circular economy is our main strategic pillar for this vision. We promote a ‘’transformation of monozukuri’, which can be translated as manufacturing but in Japanese it means more than that – it is a concept of creating value.”
In October 2022, Zeon signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Shell Eastern Petroleum in Singapore – a collaboration that enabled it to obtain international certification for biomass-derived raw materials under the mass-balanced concept (ISCC+). As a result, ZS Elastomers can now supply the European tire market with S-SBR and Li-BR with ISCC+ certification.
“The ISCC+ concept has been acknowledged as one of the globally accepted tools to reduce the carbon footprint of the product. Thus, we implement it to enable our partners to develop sustainable tires. The long-term approach is certainly to source 100% bio raw material from bio non-edible sources using a process that is energy efficient and environmentally friendly,” concluded Santoso.
Find out more at Booth C326.
Tire Technology Expo is running at the Deutsche Messe in Hannover, Germany on March 19, 20 & 21, 2024. Click here to register for your free expo pass.
