Teijin to Start New U.S. Carbon Fiber Production Facility
Teijin Limited announced on Nov 30, 2017 that it will establish new carbon-fiber production facility in the U.S. city of Greenwood, South Carolina, and Teijin Carbon Fibers, Inc. (TCF), a wholly owned subsidiary. TCF is expected to be incorporated this December and begin operating its new carbon-fiber production facility by the end of FY 2020.
Also, Toho Tenax Co., Ltd. which is the core company of Teijin’s carbon fibers business, announced today that it will expand the capacity of a specialized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor for carbon fiber in its Mishima Factory.
Total investments of new carbon fiber production facility in the U.S. and precursor capacity expansion in Japan will amount to JPY 35 billion, or approximately USD 320 million, according to the news.
The company aims to strengthen its upstream-to-downstream carbon fiber business as well as accelerate global expansion through its trilateral hubs in Japan, U.S. and Europe. The company has been leveraging research and development to expand its carbon fiber business in aerospace and automotive industry, focusing on helping companies reduce their environmental footprints to meet stringent regulations worldwide.
Carbon fiber, along with other high-performance fibers, is increasingly finding its usage in various applications including aerospace, automotive, wind energy and sporting goods.
According to Stratview Research, the global high-performance fiber market is projected to grow at a strong CAGR of 9.2% during 2016-2021. The demand of lightweight products with superior strength is the core requirement in the high-performance industries, such as aerospace and defense. Similarly, the strict government regulations in the automotive industry, such as CAFÉ standard are putting pressure on OEMs to curb the overall vehicle weight to achieve high fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emission. These are some of the factors compelling OEMs to develop products leveraging high performance fibers in the structural applications, such as aircraft fuselage & wings, automotive monocoque, wind blades, and ballistic armor.
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News & Image Source: Teijin Limited
