Toho Tenax Co Ltd, the core company of the Teijin Group’s carbon fibers and composites business, has revised and renewed its long-term contract to supply Pyromex oxidized PAN fiber (OPF) to UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS).
Under the terms of the agreement, Toho Tenax and UTAS have extended the contract for another five years to 2030.
In other news Toho Tenax’s Rockwood Tennessee facility in the USA has been awarded UTC Supplier Gold status and will increase Pyromex OPF capacity by 40% by using one of its inactive carbon fiber lines. Recommissioning of this line is expected to take place in late 2016.
Carbon fiber is made of specialized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as a precursor. The precursor is oxidized at 200-300 degrees centigrade and carbonized at 1,000–2,000 degrees centigrade in an oxygen-free environment. Toho Tenax sells flame-resistant and chemical resistant fiber produced by this oxidation process as Pyromex OPF, which is widely used in aircraft brake-friction materials, flame-retardant sheets and specialty textiles, sodium sulfur (NaS) electrodes in batteries and more.
This story uses material from The Teijin Group, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.