Toyobo Fibers has developed “CfC yarn”, a composite yarn combining carbon fiber and thermoplastic fiber. This yarn is soft like thread and easy to shape into three-dimensional forms. It has high resin impregnation properties. It will be used to develop parts and components for flexible applications such as automobiles, airplanes, and bicycles.

Japan, May 7, 2024 - Toyobo Fibers has developed a composite yarn that combines carbon fiber and thermoplastic fiber, making it soft like thread and easy to form into three-dimensional shapes. This innovation, called “CfC yarn,” has high resin impregnation properties, allowing for the production of strong thermoplastic carbon fiber composite materials (CFRTP). Collaborating with Shima Seiki Manufacturing, which produces knitting machines, Toyobo Fibers has succeeded in three-dimensional molding as an intermediate base material for CFRTP. 

CfC yarn features a three-layer structure consisting of carbon fibers and short nylon fibers, with thermoplastic fibers such as nylon long fibers as the axis, stabilized by long nylon fibers on the outside.

By heating and pressing an intermediate base material made of CfC yarn knitted into a three-dimensional shape, short nylon fibers and long nylon fibers are melted and impregnated into carbon fibers. This process improves resin impregnation into the carbon fibers, resulting in a three-dimensional carbon fiber molded product with bending and tensile strength equivalent to that of general carbon fiber composite materials. Moreover, the process eliminates the need to impregnate carbon fiber with resin separately, reducing process steps.

While traditional carbon fiber composite materials are challenging to mold into complex shapes, CfC yarn's softness allows it to be molded into three-dimensional shapes without the risk of carbon fiber breakage, using Shima Seiki's WHOLEGARMENT flat knitting machine.

Toyobo Fibers plans to leverage its network with Shima Seiki Seisakusho to develop parts and components for mobility applications, such as automobiles, airplanes, and bicycles, by the first half of 2025.

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