Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. is preparing to meet an expected large increase in demand for carbon fiber by increasing the production capacity of its facilities through the construction of an additional carbonization line (with an annual capacity of 2,700 tons) at its Otake Production Center in Hiroshima Prefecture. The details are given below.

Location: Otake Production Center (Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture) Production capacity: 2,700 tons per year
Items to be produced: High-performance carbon fiber, mainly for industrial use

Scheduled startup: Fourth quarter (Oct.-Dec.) of 2009
Investment: ¥12.0 billion (approx.)

The Mitsubishi Rayon Group is one of the leading manufacturers of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based carbon fibers, which encompasses the production of AN (acrylonitrile) monomer, precursor, carbon fiber (regular size), prepreg and finished products such as golf shafts through an integrated production system.

   The carbon fiber market has been growing in sports, leisure applications and various industrial applications, as well as aerospace applications. This growth has resulted in a steady increase in demand, and the market is now expected to top 45,000 tons by 2010. With the expanded applications for pressure vessels and blades for wind-power generators , and given the emergence of a new automobile-related market,  Mitsubishi Rayon recognizes the need to establish production systems to ensure stable supply in the future.

   In these circumstances, Mitsubishi Rayon have decided to follow up the startup of the new carbonization plant at the Toyohashi Plant in May of this year (2,200 tons annual capacity) by constructing the new production line at the Otake Production Center.

   The construction of the new Otake production facilities has the additional advantage of avoiding the concentration of the Group’s entire carbon fiber production in one facility (the Toyohashi Plant), thereby effecting risk dispersal. Moreover, as the precursor of carbon fibers, which is made from acrylic fibers, is also produced at the Otake Production Center, this plan has obvious merits in terms of logistics. Another reason for choosing the Otake location is that the site is very extensive, and thus convenient for further expansion in the future.

Total carbon fiber production capacity of
Mitsubishi Rayon Group

(tons/year)