Toray Industries, Inc. announced that it has developed TORAYCA M46X carbon fiber. The new offering is around 20% stronger than others in the TORAYCA MX series while maintaining a high tensile modulus. Utilizing TORAYCA M46X reduces the weight of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic materials, lowering its environmental impact.
Typically, there is a trade-off between the tensile modulus and strength of carbon fiber. Boosting the strength while maintaining the modulus of carbon fibers with a tensile modulus exceeding 350 GPa presents technological challenges. However, the sporting and leisure goods market demands both qualities to maintain performance while utilizing less carbon fiber to lower the weight of molded parts.
Toray developed TORAYCA M46X by pushing the structural control technology envelope. Nano-level controls of the graphite crystallite structure inside fibers resulted in an ultrafine, ultrahigh orientation producing carbon fiber that is more than 20% stronger than conventional materials while maintaining its tensile modulus.
The company will also deploy TORAYCA M46X prepreg, with the resin matrix utilizing the proprietary NANOALLOY microstructure control technology. The new product will significantly enhance compressive strength to boost stiffness while retaining strength, reducing the weight of finished products and broadening design flexibility.