Zylon case settled

The U.S. Justice Department settled a case filed under the False Claims Act against Teijin Shoji Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, and an American subsidiary for $1.5 million, after discovering Teijin sold and imported Zylon® fiber for ballistic protective wear despite scientific evidence that it degraded over time. The chain of events began when Second Chance Body Armor, which made bulletproof vests that failed, eventually recalled all of its Zylon-containing vests, which led to the company’s subsequent bankruptcy. In early 2005, Armor Holdings Inc. recalled its existing Zylon-based products and decided to discontinue manufacturing all of its Zylon-containing vests. The manufacturer of Zylon, Toyobo Co. Ltd. of Japan, continues to defend the engineered polymer as appropriate for use in protective products.