February 24, 2022
Teijin Limited announced today that it has agreed to form a business alliance with Fuji Design Co., Ltd., a Japanese manufacturer of recycled carbon fibers to establish a business structure for the production, supply and commercialization of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) products made from recycled carbon fibers using a low environmental impact process.
Fuji Design’s proprietary “precision pyrolysis” technology produces high-quality carbon fibers from used CFRP by removing matrix resins. As a green technology, it produces some 90% fewer CO2 emissions than carbon fibers produced with virgin raw materials. Fuji Design, which is operating a commercial plant partially subsidized by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, has been looking to expand the business by developing new applications for its technology.
Teijin, meanwhile, has been striving to lower its groupwide environmental impact, including by reducing its fiscal 2018-level CO2 emissions by 30% as of fiscal 2030 and to net-zero by fiscal 2050. Along with efforts to reduce in-house energy consumption, Teijin also has been developing technologies to recycle materials including carbon fibers.
Through the new business alliance, Teijin intends to strengthen its contributions aimed at realizing a more sustainable world. Under a long-term vision of becoming a company that supports the society of the future, Teijin also is working to achieve the United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Lightweight and high-strength CFRP, which already is used widely in aircraft, industrial and sports applications, is expected to attract increasing demand as a solution for improving the fuel efficiency of vehicles and other products. The challenge, however, is to urgently establish technologies for the reuse of carbon fibers, thereby helping to eliminate the material’s high-impact disposal in landfills or via incineration.
About the Teijin Group
Teijin (TSE: 3401) is a technology-driven global group offering advanced solutions in the fields of environmental value; safety, security and disaster mitigation; and demographic change and increased health consciousness. Originally established as Japan's first rayon manufacturer in 1918, Teijin has evolved into a unique enterprise encompassing three core business domains: high-performance materials including aramid, carbon fibers and composites, and also resin and plastic processing, films, polyester fibers and products converting; healthcare including pharmaceuticals and home healthcare equipment for bone/joint, respiratory and cardiovascular/metabolic diseases, nursing care and pre-symptomatic healthcare; and IT including B2B solutions for medical, corporate and public systems as well as packaged software and B2C online services for digital entertainment. Deeply committed to its stakeholders, as expressed in the brand statement “Human Chemistry, Human Solutions,” Teijin aims to be a company that supports the society of the future. The group comprises more than 170 companies and employs some 20,000 people across 20 countries worldwide. Teijin posted consolidated sales of JPY 836.5 billion (USD 7.7 billion) and total assets of JPY 1,036.4 billion (USD 9.5 billion) in the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2021.
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