Toray to build world's biggest carbon fiber plant

TOKYO — Toray Industries Inc will build the world’s biggest carbon fiber plant to meet growing demand from the aircraft, automobiles and other industries. The new plant, to be located in Masaki, Ehime Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is slated to begin operations as early as 2010 with an annual capacity of 4,000 tons, company officials say.

By the end of 2012, Toray’s annual carbon fiber output capacity will increase 1.7-fold from the current level to more than 30,000 tons.

Toray is developing the carbon fiber components for use in the tail of the first Japanese-made small passenger jetliner now development by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. The new plant will make not only high-performance but also general-purpose carbon fibers.

JapanToday.com