Toray will launch the world's first non-woven suede fabric

Toray Indus., Inc. will launch "Ultrasuede BX" in January 2019, a non-woven fabric with a suede texture containing about 30% plant-based ingredients.

The material is made from the world's highest proportion of plant-based raw materials - polyester and polyurethane. “Ultrasuede BX” is also the world's first non-woven suede fabric made from plant-based polyurethane.

Toray intends to sell "Ultrasuede BX" as an environmentally friendly material, providing high sensitivity and functionality in a wide range of applications including automotive interiors, fashion and interiors. The company plans to sell 500 million yen in the 2019 fiscal year and 3 billion yen in the 2023 fiscal year.

The texture of the suede-like leather is impregnated with polyurethane to impregnate the three-dimensional entangled structure of the polyester microfiber, and the surface structure of the suede is formed by solidification and polishing to produce a nonwoven material.

"Ultrasuede BX" is made by polymerizing polyester with ethylene glycol. Glycol is made from sugar cane molasses and polyurethane is made from polyol made from inedible castor oil.

In the early days, polyurethanes made from plant-based materials had technical problems, particularly when used in nonwoven fabrics having a suede texture, and had low durability.

From the development of polymer raw materials to the design of product structures and polyurethane coagulation technology, Toray successfully launched the "Ultrasuede BX". It has the characteristics of high proportion of plant-based raw materials, comfortable hand feeling, good durability and good air permeability, and is easy to maintain and maintain. Ultrasuede is a premium product brand produced using advanced Japanese technology and is sold worldwide.