| May 13, 2003 |
Toray Starts Production of Automobile Upholstery Material |
| Toray Industries, Inc. has begun production of automobile
upholstery material made of PLA (polylactic acid) fiber ECODEAR*, an environment-friendly
vegetable fiber, for the first time in the world. The company has developed the
material in cooperation with TOYOTA MOTOR CORP., ARACO Corporation and TOYOTA
TSUSHO CORPORATION. TOYOTA adopted it for the spare tire cover and floor mat
(optional) to be used for its new model "RAUM," which was launched
on May 12, 2003. In addition to use in automobiles, Toray intends to expand the applications and sales of PLA fiber as an environment-friendly recyclable product in the fields of daily life and industrial materials, and apparel. The spare tire cover of RAUM consists of a heat-pressurized molding hard board containing an equal mixture of PLA fiber and a natural fiber called "Kenaf". The product is composed of 100% vegetable fiber derived from an ideal combination of production methods including the ratio of PLA and Kenaf fibers, compression and heating that allows the product's existing properties to be retained. BCF (Bulked Continuous Filament) is used for the floor mat. Toray's proprietary fiber processing technology, including spinning and special dyeing technologies based on the company's chemical fiber (polyester/nylon) production technology, have made possible the development of an optimum floor material for automobiles. These technologies are also applicable to automobile upholstery materials for use in door trims, car seats, ceilings and line mats. Toray plans to expand its PLA fiber product lineup to include various automobile upholstery applications requiring environment-friendly materials. Under the concept of developing environment-friendly automobiles, Toray has implemented a joint project for automobile components using plant ingredients with the TOYOTA Group that includes TOYOTA MOTOR CORP., ARACO Corporation and TOYOTA TSUSHO CORPORATION. Based on Toray's polymer improvement, spinning and proprietary technologies, the company has succeeded in overcoming the drawbacks of PLA fiber that it is easily hydrolyzed and has poor heatproof properties. In this way, Toray has successfully commercialized automobile components which are subject to strict product standards. On April 25, Toray concluded a master agreement encompassing brands, technology licenses and PLA chip supply with U.S.-based Cargill Dow LLC. The company is now conducting full-scale marketing of PLA fiber products including carpets, bedding and industrial materials, and apparel. Toray aims to foster its PLA fiber business with sales of 10 billion yen by 2005. |
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