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.