Toho Tenax develops carbon fiber for aircraft and automotive applications

Toho Tenax Co., Ltd., the core company of the Teijin Group’s carbon fibers and composites business, has developed TENAX XMS32, a new grade carbon fiber that achieves both high-intensity and high-tensile modulus ideal for aircraft and automotive applications.

Toho Tenax's new grade carbon fiber has been created with a uniform structure by optimizing the structural design of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based precursor and enhancing its manufacturing process. Compared to TENAX IMS65, the existing grade carbon fiber that has been mainly used for aircraft applications, TENAX XMS32 offers 10% more intensity and 10% greater tensile modulus. In addition, resin adherence has been significantly improved through new surface-modification technology to refine the chemical characteristics of the carbon fiber’s surface and control its smoothness on the nano level.

Carbon fiber being used in aircraft, automotive, and for other demanding applications are required to have high levels of stiffness, as well as improved intensity and tensile modulus given the trend toward hin-walling of products. It had been difficult to achieve both intensity and tensile modulus in PAN carbon fiber due to decreased intensity resulting from increased tensile modulus.

Toho Tenax is developing prepreg using TENAX XMS32 for airplanes and expects to develop prepregs for automotive and high-end sports and leisure applications in the foreseeable future. The company also intends to expand its lineup of carbon fiber ranging from yarn to structural parts to meet wide-ranging needs for customer applications.