Zeon to produce rubber-based Li-ion battery binders in US

Tokyo – Zeon Corp. is set to begin preparations for the establishment of a new production line for Li-ion battery binders at its manufacturing site in Pasadena, Texas.

Scheduled for operation in 2026, the facility will manufacture Li-ion battery binders, comprised of anode, cathode, functional layer (for separator coating), and sealant binders, Zeon announced 1 Sept.

Zeon said it has been supplying binder materials for batteries since 1995 and has developed its flagship aqueous SBR binders for negative electrodes.

The Japanese group holds a broad intellectual property portfolio related to Li-ion batteries.

According to Zeon, the Li-ion battery market is expected to experience rapid growth in North America and Europe with each expected to reach 1000 GWh of cell making capacity in coming years.

The new production line, Zeon said, will enable “localised, western hemisphere production for servicing these growing markets.”

In addition to the new production line, Zeon currently produces Zetpol-branded hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR) at the Texas facility.

Last year, the group announced that it was expanding production capacity for the HNBR materials in Pasadena by 25%, with the project set for completion in 2025.