Companies in various countries began manufacturing carbon fibers, increasing supplies of conventional high-strength offerings. Demand for high-strength carbon fibers has risen, necessitating a response from Toray. The company accordingly set about refining its a proprietary nanoscale structural control technology to design and achieve an internal structure with high toughness.

Applying this technology led Toray to create TORAYCA™ T1200, with a tensile strength of 8.0 gigapascals (or GPa, which is around 100 kilogram force per square millimeter). This is more than 10% higher than the figure of 7.0 for TORAYCA™ T1100. The latter is currently the highest tensile strength. Its diverse applications include golf shafts, bicycle accessories, fishing rods, and other sports, leisure equipment, motorsports, as well as aviation and space. The company developed T1200 at a new facility within the Ehime Plant (in Masaki-cho, Ehime Prefecture). Diverse applications will include aircraft.

Toray began selling carbon fibers in 1971. It has supplied TORAYCA™ for such applications as compressed natural gas and high-pressure hydrogen tanks, automobiles, aircraft, and sporting equipment. In 1986, the company developed TORAYCA™ T1000, which was then world’s highest strength carbon fiber, and has since remained a global leader in that respect. In recent years, Toray further expanded the potential of carbon fibers by commercializing TORAYCA™ T1100.

As part of Toray Group Sustainability Vision, the company committed itself to providing innovative technologies and advanced materials that contribute to sustainable progress. TORAYCA™ T1200 embodies the Toray Group’s vision for balancing greenhouse gas emissions and absorption worldwide. The company will continue to enhance the performance and supplies of TORAYCA™ carbon fiber in keeping with its corporate philosophy of contributing to society by creating new value with innovative ideas, technologies, and products.