SEC Carbon

What SEC Carbon does

SEC Carbon, Limited. (TYO: 5304) is a Japanese specialty carbon and graphite manufacturer founded in 1934, headquartered in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, with its principal production complex at the Kyoto Factory in Fukuchiyama — one of the world's largest integrated carbon production facilities at approximately 500,000 m². The company operates a single-segment business built around four product lines: SK-B® graphitized cathode blocks for aluminum electrolytic smelting (its flagship, holding an estimated 40% global market share excluding China), artificial graphite electrodes for electric arc furnace steelmaking and ash melting, high-purity fine graphite powder for seals, brushes, brake materials, and coatings, and a broad portfolio of specialty carbon and graphite products for molten salt electrolysis, metallurgy, thermal processing, and advanced applications including aerospace. Underlying technology is centered on proprietary graphitization know-how and integrated in-house manufacturing that spans raw material processing through finished components.

SEC Carbon generates revenue through direct B2B sales of consumable and capital carbon components to industrial manufacturers worldwide, with no disclosed pricing transparency — contracts are negotiated directly with customers based on specifications, volumes, and terms. The company's primary customer segments are aluminum smelting plants (SK-B® cathode blocks) and steel manufacturers using electric arc furnaces (graphite electrodes), with secondary segments in thermal processing, semiconductor and clean energy materials supply, and specialty industrial applications. The 1992 Quality Agreement with Pechiney (now Rio Tinto) cemented SK-B® as a global standard in aluminum smelting. Revenue is geographically diversified across Asia-Pacific and other global regions, with overseas customers representing a significant share of the consolidated FY2024 net sales of 31.1 billion yen.

The company's strategic posture emphasizes sustainability positioning — positioning graphite electrodes as enablers of steel scrap recycling (lower CO2 versus primary steelmaking), and through its 2020 acquisition of university-launched startup IMSEPP, pursuing CO2-to-carbon material conversion research aligned with carbon neutrality themes. SEC Carbon trades publicly on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, maintains an active IR and ESG disclosure cadence, and operates with a board-led governance structure; recent 2026 announcements indicate leadership transitions at the representative director level. The company has no controlling parent and operates as an independent public corporation.

Name

SEC Carbon

Legal name

SEC CARBON, LIMITED.

Website

https://sec-carbon.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Carbon and Graphite Manufacturing

NAICS

Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing (335991), Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (3241)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon Black & Bulk Pigments (IMAEAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Carbon & Pitch Products (Petroleum Pitch, Carbon Binders for Anodes) (EUALAKAK), Synthetic Graphite Feedstocks (Petroleum Needle Coke & Pitch) (IMAKAFAE)

Keywords

• Graphitized cathode blocks
• Artificial graphite electrodes
• Carbon graphite products
• High-purity graphite powder
• Aluminum smelting materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Amagasaki

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Carbon & Graphite Specialties: Sale of special carbon products used in molten salt electrolysis, aqueous electrolysis, metallurgy/metal refining, heat treatment furnaces, electrochemical applications, mechanical applications, electrical applications, and chemical structural applications.
2. Fine Powder: High-purity graphite powder products used in seal materials, carbon brushes, brake materials, and various paints. Produced with advanced graphitization technology achieving exceptional purity and crystallinity.
3. Graphitized Cathode Block SK-B®: Cathode blocks for aluminum electrolytic furnaces used in aluminum smelting. The company's flagship product with 40% global market share (excluding China).
4. Artificial Graphite Electrodes: Electrodes for steelmaking electric arc furnaces and ash melting furnaces. Consumable materials that contribute to iron resource circulation and carbon neutrality by enabling recycling of steel scrap with lower CO2 emissions than primary production.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SEC Carbon manufactures and sells carbon and graphite products for industrial use, including SK-B® graphitized cathode blocks for aluminum electrolytic smelting furnaces, artificial graphite electrodes for steelmaking electric arc furnaces, high-purity graphite and carbon fine powders, and specialty carbon/graphite products used in molten salt electrolysis, metallurgy, thermal processing, and electrochemical/mechanical/chemical applications. Production is centered on the company's integrated Kyoto Factory and is sold directly to industrial manufacturers globally.

Product overview

SEC Carbon operates as a single unified carbon products portfolio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company manufactures four core product lines: (1) special carbon/graphite products (特殊炭素製品) for molten salt electrolysis, aqueous electrolysis, metallurgy, metal refining, thermal processing, electrochemical, mechanical, electrical, and chemical structural uses, including large extruded materials; (2) fine powder (ファインパウダー) including graphite powder and carbon powder for seals, carbon brushes, brake materials, and coatings; (3) the SK-B® graphitized cathode block (アルミニウム製錬用カソードブロック SK-B®) for aluminum electrolytic furnaces, representing the company's flagship product with an estimated 40% global market share excluding China; and (4) artificial graphite electrodes (人造黒鉛電極) for steelmaking electric arc furnaces and ash melting furnaces, serving as consumable components that contribute to iron resource circulation and carbon neutrality. The Kyoto factory spans approximately 500,000 m² and is one of the world's largest integrated carbon production facilities. Founded in 1934 (as Showa Electrode), SEC Carbon conducts business globally with overseas transactions representing a significant portion of sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rio Tinto (formerly Pechiney)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992In 1992, SEC Carbon signed a 'Quality Agreement' with Pechiney (now part of Rio Tinto), a global leader in aluminum smelting technology. Pechiney recognized the company's cathode blocks for their quality and recommended them for use at world-class smelting plants. This quality certification was pivotal in establishing SEC Carbon's cathode blocks as a global standard in the aluminum industry.
• IMSEPP (アイ'ямпセップ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2020, SEC Carbon acquired IMSEPP, a university-launched startup, as a subsidiary to advance carbon neutrality research. The company is conducting joint research to produce carbon materials using CO2 as a raw material, transforming carbon dioxide into carbon and graphite particles.
• Sumitomo Chemical (、住友化学)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partner for SK-B® graphitized cathode block. SK-B stands for Sumitomo Kyowa Block, derived from the initials of both companies. Development began in 1961, patent filed in 1970, and product name adopted in 1971. This collaboration established the foundation for SEC Carbon's market-leading position in aluminum smelting cathode blocks.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sec-carbon-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SEC Carbon