#Man-Made Fibers

2026-04-09

Teijin Frontier announces new Stretch Polyester yarn offering exceptional compatibility with high-performance Polyester materials

Textile using a newly developed stretch polyester yarn © 2026 Teijin Frontier

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd. announced today that it has developed a new stretch polyester yarn that offers new opportunities to create comfortable, all- polyester fabrics for sports and outdoor wear. The new polyester yarn demonstrates exceptional compatibility with high-performance polyester materials. Further, Teijin Frontier’s proprietary polymer design and spinning technology impart excellent elasticity to the new yarn. In turn, this yarn adds stretchability and recovery to the advanced functionality and excellent texture of high-performance polyester materials.

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for greater comfort in sports and outdoor wear, as well as in everyday clothing. To help increase wearability, polyurethane- based elastic fibers with high stretchability are widely used. At the same time, greater variability in usage scenarios has led to a need for new high-performance polyester materials that can integrate comfortable stretch properties with advanced functionality and an excellent texture.

However, the material properties of polyurethane-based elastic fibers and polyester materials, particularly their heat-setting characteristics, differ greatly. This incompatibility has created product development restrictions.

To address this challenge, Teijin Frontier developed a polyester filament yarn that is compatible with high-performance polyester materials and can impart comfortable stretchability and recoverability.

Key features of the new polyester yarn

• Soft comfortable stretchability and high recoverability

Unlike stretchability that derives from the yarn structure—such as in conjugate yarns made by combining polymers with different heat-shrink properties and highly crimped yarns—the new polyester yarn’s elasticity is derived from its unique polymer design and spinning control technology. As a result, although it is a polyester filament, it possesses soft stretchability and excellent shape stability, with a high degree of recovery comparable to that of polyurethane-based elastic fibers.

• Support for advanced functionality

The strong compatibility between the new stretch polyester yarn and high-performance polyester materials makes it possible to develop 100 percent polyester textiles that maintain the advanced functions of the polyester material. These include moisture absorption and quick drying, as well as durable water repellency.

• Design flexibility

With the same characteristics as polyester materials, including excellent heat-setting properties, the new yarn enables development of new high-performance stretch materials for a wide range of applications.

• Easier recycling

Using the new polyester stretch yarn with high-performance polyester materials will create a 100 percent polyester textile, making easier recycling possible.

Teijin Frontier plans to combine the new yarn with high-performance polyester materials in textiles for a wide range of apparel, including sportswear, casual wear and innerwear. The company will begin selling these textiles to the domestic and overseas outdoor and sports apparel markets in 2027, targeting annual sales of 100,000 meters of textiles in fiscal 2027 and 500,000 meters in fiscal 2029.

Teijin and Asahi Kasei to merge textile subsidiaries into joint venture

Teijin Limited and Asahi Kasei Corporation have signed a definitive agreement to integrate their textile subsidiaries Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd. and Asahi Kasei Advance Corporation. The announcement was approved by Teijin’s Board of Directors on 1 December 2025 and marks a significant consolidation move within Japan’s advanced materials and textile sector.

Teijin Frontier develops a next-generation stretch fabric

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., announced today that it has developed a next-generation stretch fabric made of an extra-fine three-dimensional structure with randomly sized crimps. The newly developed fabric combines exceptional elasticity with a soft, airy texture and a natural uneven surface that helps make the fabric lightweight while providing quick drying and moisture wicking performance.

New high-performance polyester fabric with a natural fiber-like texture and appearance

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., announced that it has developed a new high-performance polyester fabric, which combines the elegant appearance and texture of natural fibers made of yarns of random thickness with advanced functionalities such as cool touch, anti-stickiness, quick dry, opacity and ultraviolet (UV) protection.

Nantong Teijin’s efforts to reduce water usage certified as model activities for supporting the environment in the Yangtze River Delta Region

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., announced today that its group company, Nantong Teijin Co., Ltd., has been recognized by China’s Jiangsu Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment for reducing water usage by approximately 300,000 tons/year. Nantong Teijin, which manufactures polyester long-fiber woven and knitted fabrics in Jiangsu Province, independently developed equipment and systems for analyzing, recovering, storing and reusing wastewater from its water-intensive dyeing process.

The LYCRA Company expands its co-creation vision through an immersive Lifestyle District at Intertextile Shanghai.

The LYCRA Company, a global leader in fiber and technology solutions for the apparel industry, is reimagining the trade show experience at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Autumn Edition, which opened today in China. Building on the success of last year's ALL IN concept, the company has expanded its co-creation vision into a 356-square-meter Lifestyle District featuring partners Jingzili New Material, JYT Textile, Lianxingfa Knitting, and Trend Textile. The district is part of a larger 895-square-meter pavilion showcasing a total of 19 co-exhibitors. Together, they demonstrate how innovations in fiber, fabric, and garments can be combined to create compelling solutions for both work and play.

Brazil sets new cotton export record and consolidates global leadership

Brazil ended the 2025/26 commercial year with a new record, consolidating its position as the world’s largest cotton exporter. Between August 2025 and July 2026, the country shipped 3,373,941 tonnes of the fiber, 19% more than in the previous cycle, and reached record revenue of US$5.3 billion. The result represents a milestone in Brazil’s expansion in the international market and reinforces the country’s role as a strategic supplier to the global textile industry.

Plastic-free stretch technologies drive new direction for denim innovation

As the denim industry looks for ways to reduce its reliance on synthetic fibres, plastic-free stretch technologies are gaining momentum. Developments based on mechanical fabric construction and natural rubber are demonstrating that comfort and stretch can be achieved without conventional elastane, supporting both recyclability and circular product design.

"Dynamic markets do not only create uncertainty – they also create opportunities."

Volatile markets, increasingly complex materials and growing demands for flexibility are changing the weaving industry. At the same time, new opportunities are emerging in technical textiles, filtration, composites and many other specialised applications. Since taking over as Head of DORNIER's Weaving Machines Product Line at the beginning of 2026, Yvonne Schuberth has been helping to shape this development. In this interview with TexData, she explains why process stability and customer proximity remain the foundation of innovation, how digitalisation is transforming weaving mills, and why she believes the future belongs to technologically demanding applications.