Teijin Aramid, formerly known as Teijin Twaron, is a company in

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

that produces various high-strength fibers for industrial purposes, most notably their para-

aramid Aramid fibers, short for aromatic polyamide, are a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic-rated body armor fabric and ballistic composites, in marine cordage, ma ...

Twaron Twaron (a brand name of Teijin Aramid) is a para-aramid. It is a heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibre developed in the early 1970s by the Dutch company Akzo Nobel's division Enka BV, later Akzo Industrial Fibers. The research name of the para ...

. Twaron finds applications in numerous markets, such as automotive (tires, hoses, belts), aerospace, civil engineering, construction, leisure goods (e.g. boats), protective clothing (bullet-, fire- and cut-resistant clothing), optical fiber cables, friction and sealing materials and more. The company has been part of the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese Teijin Group since 2000, prior to this they were a division of

Akzo Nobel Akzo Nobel N.V., stylized as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational company which creates paints and performance coatings for both industry and consumers worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries ...

, division Industrial Fibers. Next to

, the company markets

Technora Technora is an aramid that is useful for a variety of applications that require high strength or chemical resistance. It is a brand name of the company Teijin Aramid. Technora was used on January 25, 2004 to suspend the NASA Mars rover Opportunit ...

, Endumax and Teijinconex as well.

History

Twaron is a heat-resistant and strong

synthetic fiber Synthetic fibers or synthetic fibres (in British English; see spelling differences) are fibers made by humans through chemical synthesis, as opposed to natural fibers that are directly derived from living organisms, such as plants (like cotton) ...

, developed in early 1970s by the Dutch company

AKZO Akzo Nobel N.V., stylized as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational company which creates paints and performance coatings for both industry and consumers worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, ...

, division

Enka is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form, which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, p ...

, later Akzo Nobel Industrial Fibers. The research name of the

was originally Fiber X, but soon called Arenka. In 1973 Akzo decided to use sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) as a solvent for spinning. In 1976 a pilot plant was built. In 1982 the name

was introduced. In 1985 commercial production was started on 3 locations and 9 plants. In 1989 the aramid business of AKZO became an independent Business Unit called Twaron BV. In 1995 the capacity was 11.000 tons/yr Since 2000 Twaron BV is owned by the Teijin Group and now called Teijin Twaron BV. Teijin Twaron is based in

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks of ...

, The Netherlands and main production facilities for Twaron are in Emmen and

Delfzijl Delfzijl (; gos, Delfsiel) is a city and former municipality with a population of 25,651 in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Delfzijl was a sluice between the Delf (canal), Delf and the Ems (riv ...

. In 2003 a major capacity increase to 18.500 tons/yr was completed. In 2006 additional process improvements gave 24.000 tons/yr capacity. In 2007 the name of Teijin Twaron BV was changed to Teijin Aramid BV. Teijin projects an 8- to 10-percent increase in the worldwide aramid fibers market in future years, and is adding another 5- to 10-percent increase in capacity in 2007. On July 13, 2017, Teijin Aramid announced it is going to expand its aramid production capacity for its

super fiber. It will invest in new spinning technology at the Twaron facility in Emmen, the Netherlands, starting up in the first quarter of 2019. On December 20, 2017 Teijin Aramid announced its second intention to increase the production capacity for its

super fiber by more than 25%. This additional capacity will become available within the next five years. With this capacity expansion, Teijin Aramid will be able to meet future market demand and provide its customers with the material they need to excel in their markets. The total extra capacity is planned to be fully available in the year 2022.

References

External links

Teijin Aramid Homepage

Teijin Group business
{{Authority control Companies based in Gelderland Chemical companies of the Netherlands Arnhem