M’Bishi Rayon to Up Annual Carbon Fiber Output Capacity By 2,200 Tons

By Kyodo News International, Tokyo

Nov. 10–TOKYO — Mitsubishi Rayon Co. said Thursday it will bolster its carbon fiber production capacity by 2,200 tons a year at its factory in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, to meet growing demand for the material.

Mitsubishi Rayon will invest 7 billion yen to build a new carbonization line at the Toyohashi plant, which has an annual carbon fiber output capacity of 3,200 tons.

The company, which is a key polyacrylonitrile carbon fiber supplier, wants to start the new line in the April-June period of 2007.

The carbon fiber market has been growing because it can be used in a wide range of fields, including the sports, recreational, space and aviation industries.

The company needs to hike output to ensure stable supply as the material is expected to have a growing range of applications in global industry for such use in pressure vessels and wind power generation, it added.

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