Twaron is normally golden yellow in colour and aramid fibre is difficult to dye, but at the request of customers in the sailing and sports industries, Teijin Aramid started to investigate production of a different coloured Twaron.
To produce the black aramid fibres, Teijin Aramid injects the fibre with the black dye during the production process. The black aramid fibre is reported to have characteristics equivalent to the standard yellow fibre.
“With Twaron Black, it is possible to combine the special characteristics of the aramid fibre with a beautiful look," Gert Frederiks, CEO of Teijin Aramid, explains. "Black aramid fibres have already been produced in the world, but they do not have the same characteristics (modulus) as the standard Twaron aramid fibre.”
Aramid fibers are frequently combined with carbon, he notes.
“For example, you often see the golden yellow of aramid in sails on a professional yacht or the underside of a canoe. With Twaron Black, it becomes part of the whole and maintains the same characteristics.”
Twaron Black will be seen for the first time in the sails of Volvo Ocean Race yachts.
Aramid fibre is used in composites where weight reduction and excellent damage tolerance are required. Twaron has found application in marine and aerospace construction, civil engineering, ground transportation, engineering plastics, and sporting goods.
With its three production sites in the Netherlands, Teijin Aramid, part of the Tejin Group, is responsible for more than half of the world’s production of aramid.
