【Frontiers in HaiChuan Chemical Technology】Toray has developed an innovative recycling technology that preserves the strength and surface quality of carbon fibers

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October 31 – Toray Industries, Ltd. (referred to as “Toray”) announced that it has successfully developed a new recycling technology capable of breaking down various carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) made from thermosetting resins, while preserving the strength and surface quality of the fibers. Using this technology, the company has successfully produced non-woven fabrics made from recycled carbon fiber. Toray has begun supplying prototype samples to its customers to help develop high-performance and decorative materials suitable for a variety of applications such as automotive, construction, electrical and electronic industries, and daily household items. The company will actively carry out technical evaluations that meet customer needs. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) are widely used in fields such as aircraft and wind turbine blades. Currently, the method of chemically recovering CFRP as a reducing agent in steelmaking blast furnaces is gradually becoming more widespread. The market has also seen the emergence of technologies for recycling fibers by high-temperature pyrolysis of waste CFRP, with significant growth particularly in the field of injection molding applications. To expand application scenarios, the industry urgently needs recycling technologies that can suppress thermal damage to recycled carbon fibers, control resin residues, and handle various types of waste CFRP. Liori has developed an innovative decomposing agent, leveraging its expertise in organic synthesis and polymerization, which can decompose thermosetting resins with resistant three-dimensional cross-linked structures at temperatures lower than those used in traditional processes. Using this reagent, the company has successfully decomposed CFRP waste from industries such as aviation, wind turbines, and automobiles. The regenerated carbon fiber obtained in this way can achieve a single-filament tensile strength of over 95% that of petroleum-based virgin carbon fiber. Toray expects that the carbon dioxide emissions associated with this technology to be less than half those of the conventional carbon fiber manufacturing process. The recycled carbon fiber produced by this technology has higher strength than conventional recycled carbon fiber, and it minimizes fiber breakage during the post-treatment process. Its low resin residue and excellent surface quality enable it to be applied in more diverse fields. It is particularly worth mentioning that attempts to disperse short fibers and process them into sheet-like non-woven fabrics have been successful. The recycled carbon fiber produced using this technology has controllable water dispersibility, allowing it to be used to manufacture non-woven fabrics with a uniform structure as well as to exhibit a unique texture similar to washi (traditional Japanese paper). This new type of fabric combines the functionality of carbon fiber (including RF shielding and thermal conductivity) with the aesthetics of paper. Toray is committed to expanding the use of this new material across various industries. This innovative fabric was used in the interior and exterior components of the concept car displayed by Mazda at the Japan Mobility Show, held at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center from October 30 to November 9, 2025.