Tomen Sells Textiles Proofed with Visible-Light-Responsive Photocatalyst Material "V-CAT"
2004-10-14
| Tomen Corporation, in cooperation with Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Komatsu Seiren Co., Ltd., has begun selling textiles proofed with "V-CAT," a visible-light-responsive Photocatalyst material developed by Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc (Nagakute , Aichi 480-1192). | |  |
Photocatalysts have been found to have the following positive effects:
1.Air purification 2.Deodorization 3.Water purification 4.Antibacteria 5.Resistance to soil
Recently, photocatalyst material has been used for creating high-visibility textiles used in kitchen goods, building exteriors, etc. Some weak points were identified in the product, due to its high-splitting performance. For example, if Photocatalyst is used directly in textile products, the original textile thread and dye undergo autolysis, causing the textile to change and weaken.
Toyota Central R&D Labs. and Komatsu Seiren embarked on a joint development project in order to correct those weak points. They succeeded in guarding against the splitting of original textiles, through the development of a special surface processing technology. This new technology creates a durable absorption textile that does not deactivate the features of Photocatalyst. The final product is a complete durable textile, proofed by the visible-light-responsive Photocatalyst material "V-CAT".
"V-CAT" will be used in fashion and sports clothes, uniforms, interior products, pajamas, car interiors, etc. Prices will range from 500 JPY to 1500 JPY per 1㎡. Tomen and Toyota Tsusho will promote the product to major department stores and boutiques around Japan, as well as international apparel makers. Target sales are 200 million JPY for 2005 and 1 billion JPY for 2006. | | |
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