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Toray Develops Antiviral Textile Offering Exceptional Washability and Comfort

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Oct. 7, 2020

Toray Industries, Inc.


Tokyo, Japan, October 7, 2020 – Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it has developed MAKSPEC® V, an antiviral textile that delivers exceptional washability and comfort.

This polyester material is the fruit of proprietary textiles processing technology that ensures the durability of antiviral processing while providing a soft and comfortable texture. The antiviral properties of MAKSPEC V reduce the lipid bilayer envelopes of viruses on the material.

Toray aims to propose an array of applications that take advantage of these features. These extend from service, medical, work, school wear, and other uniforms to sportswear, casual apparel, and fashionwear.

Antiviral Textile Offering Exceptional Washability and Comfort


The company will commercialize MAKSPEC V textiles in January 2021. It targets 300,000 square meters in sales in 2022, rising to 1 million square meters in 2025.

Washability has been a key challenge with agent fixation to eliminate viral envelopes. The common practice has thus been to employ cotton blend materials that make fixation easier, but such a solution cannot offer the easy care, stretch, or sweat wicking of synthetic materials.

Another approach has been to use polyester incorporating adhesives to ensure washability. This has constrained the development of clothing applications, however, as adhesives harden textile textures.

Toray resolved these issues by using optimal antiviral agents and leveraging a proprietary fixation technique for polyester fibers. Because of its ability to reduce envelope strains, MAKSPEC V accordingly received certification under the SEK Mark program of the Japan Textile Evaluation Technology Council as an Antiviral Finished Textile Product. MAKSPEC V also offers excellent commercial laundry washability. MAKSPEC V maintains textile softness for wearer comfort. Another key advantage is that it offers the colorfastness needed for fabric in regular apparel. Toray will accordingly cultivate broad apparel applications by combining these features.

The company will draw on the textile processing technology it amassed in developing materials for uniforms, which demand exceptional functionality, to create textiles that provide outstanding performance and added value by combining comfort and safety, thus contributing to social progress.

Product Summary
1. Product name: MAKSPEC® V

2. Key features
(1) Antiviral activity value exceeding 3.0 Tested with ATCC VR-1679 envelope strain; SEK Mark certification obtained for Antiviral Finished Textile Products (see note below) Note:
・Test methodology: JIS L 1922 antiviral test for textile products
・ Infection measurement technique: Plaque assay
・Material tested: 100% polyester textile
(2) Exceptional commercial washability
Maintains durability normally expected from commercial usage
(3) Can be treated without impairing softness or colorfastness Important:
・Antiviral processing is not for treating or preventing illnesses.
・Antiviral testing conducted on ATCC VR-1679 envelope strain over two hours at 25°C.
・Antiviral processing does not inhibit virus actions.

3. Technical overview
(1) Employs an antiviral agent that has a high affinity for polyester and reduces envelope strains (after two hours of testing, killed more than 99.9% of viruses on polyester fibers).
(2) Unique processing technology that incorporates antiviral agents in polyester fibers (textile feels soft feel and is highly robust).

4. Applications
・Uniforms (service, medical, work, and school wear)
・Sportswear, casual apparel, and fashionwear
・Children’s clothing

Note: Cannot be used in masks or other items close to mouths and nostrils or in items for children up to 24 months.
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