New Tenax carbon fiber for thermoplastic applications

Toho Tenax, the core company of the Teijin Group's carbon fibers and composites business, will launch Tenax® carbon fiber filament yarn with a new tailored sizing for thermoplastic and high-temperature applications. The commercialisation of Tenax®-E HTS45 P12 12K 800tex and Tenax®-E IMS65 P12 24K 830tex is planned for 2014. Both new fiber types will be produced at the German production site Oberbruch and will be globally available.

Tenax®-E HTS45 P12 and Tenax®-E IMS65 P12 are compatible with high temperature thermoplastics (PEEK, PPS, PEI, etc.) as well as for lower temperature matrices like Polyamide based systems (PPA, PA12, PA6, etc.). The P12 sizing also allows low viscosity and in-situ reacting thermoplastics to be combined with Tenax® carbon fiber.

Both fibers can be processed easily into a variety of textiles like woven fabrics, multiaxial fabrics, commingled yarn and 3-D fabrics. Furthermore, they can be used for pultrusion and prepregging processes. The new yarn completes Toho Tenax port-folio of short carbon fiber for thermoplastic injection moulding applications.

Based on these new specialised carbon fibers, Toho Tenax is manufacturing successfully thermoplastic unidirectional prepreg tapes. Tenax® TPUD has already been selected for a variety of aerospace developments and industrial programs.