May 1,2003 Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. Mitsubishi Rayon Awarded Oeko-Tex Standard 100 for Vonnel® Acrylic Staple Fiber Mitsubishi Rayon’s Vonnel® acrylic staple was recently awarded the seal of approval under the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 international safety standard for textiles.    As the industry continues to search for higher performance and functionality in materials and people become more health-conscious, a growing demand has arisen for safe textiles. Vonnel®, as one of these high-performance materials, is widely used for product development in the clothing, carpeting, and interior decoration industries. To encourage the manufacturing of safe products, we had Vonnel® certified to the most rigorous Class 1 criteria of the Oeko-Tex Standard 100.    The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is an international program that determines the safety of textiles by testing them for certain substances known to be a health risk to humans. Oeko-Tex is the most influential of the safety certification systems available in the West. In March 2000, Nissenken Japan Dyers Inspection Institute Foundation became the certifying body for textiles in Japan.    Vonnel® is an excellent material for the development of finished products because it has already received the international safety seal of approval at its primary, staple fiber stage. The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 international safety standard for textiles guarantees the safety of textiles by analyzing the results of over 100 tests, conducted at the Oeko-Tex Association (The International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile Ecology; Head office -- Zurich), to verify that those materials do not contain more than the accepted levels of certain substances, including heavy metals and carcinogenic and allergenic substances, which put human health at risk. Only those materials that pass these tests are awarded the seal of approval seen below. For further inquiries, contact:   Acrylic Fiber Processing & Technology Dept.: Public & Investor Relations Office: +81-6-6881-6344 +81-6-6881-6301 [PAGE TOP]