News

Before the water-soluble yarn is dissolved Before the water-soluble yarn is dissolved
After the water-soluble yarn is dissolved After the water-soluble yarn is dissolved

Kuraray Trading Co., Ltd. has announced the development of a special-purpose composite yarn. Kuraray Trading first used EXCEVAL, the world's first water-soluble resin (developed by Kuraray Co., Ltd.) to develop a melt-spun, water-soluble yarn. Then this yarn was used in the development of the new composite yarn. Sales will begin on June 1.

This product is a composite-process yarn made from water-soluble yarn with spun yarn or Spandex yarn, using composite processing. It took Kuraray Trading and Asano Nenshi Co., Ltd. over two years to develop the specialized technology needed in this yarn manufacturing process. During the dying and final processing of the textile, the water-soluble yarn is dissolved and washed away, leaving the flexible composite yarn.

The water-soluble yarn made from EXCEVAL was developed in connection with the Kuraray Group's strategy of shifting to proprietary polymers in its polyester fibers and textiles business. Mass production of this yarn was commenced to support the launch of the new composite yarn.

The three most significant properties of this product are:

  • (1) Because the water-soluble yarn plays the role of a stiffener, and knitting or weaving even such weak yarns as almost untwisted spun yarn and fine count yarn is possible, fine count, high-density fabrics can be produced.
  • (2) The voids created by the hot-water dissolution process create a feeling of air permeability, lightness, and puffiness.
  • (3) The remaining composite yarn is much easier to work with after the hot-water dissolution process , and textiles with excellent flexibility can be made from it. This property is particularly pronounced when it is used with Spandex yarn.

These characteristics make it possible to produce materials with a feel and texture utterly unlike those heretofore produced using spun stretch yarn. We are positioning this product as a unique high-performance material, and will continue to develop related products and applications, contributing to the development of new products in Japan.

A Look at the New Product

1.

This is a composite-process yarn made from water-soluble yarn with Spandex yarn, natural fibers, or synthetic fibers.

2. Characteristics

(1) Versatile stretch yarn
Can be used with materials ranging from course count to fine count, 10/1 (+PU) to 200/1 (+PU).
(2) Unique feel
The voids created by the dissolution of the water-soluble yarn create a feeling of air permeability, lightness, and puffiness.
(3) Improved elasticity
Because the water-soluble yarn is dissolved away, the flexibility of the yarn increases dramatically when used in a composite with Spandex yarn. From the time of knitting or weaving forward, the fiber is extremely easy to work with because of the voids left when the water-soluble yarn is dissolved away.
(4) Easy to handle
Because EXCEVAL is easily dissolved by hot water, it is simple to reprocess the composite yarn to remove any water-soluble yarn that remains after the processing. It is easily handled, and will not detract from the feel of the material.
(5) An eco-friendly material
EXCEVAL is biodegradable, and therefore environmentally friendly.

3. Applications

Outerwear, innerwear, etc. (Wovens, knits, one-piece seamless knits, etc.)

4. Reference price

¥3000/kg (Exclusive of consumption tax)
cotton 60/1+ Pu20dtex+ water-soluble yarn 56dtex

5. Sales targets

First year: 50t ¥ 150 million
After three years: 150t ¥ 450 million

Asano Nenshi Co., Ltd.

President Masami Asano
Headquarters 875 Chudan no Ki, Anpachi-cho, Anpachi-gun, Gifu Prefecture
Capitalization ¥10 million (at October 30, 2004)
Business Spinning and Twisting