Toho Tenax Co., Ltd., the core company of the Teijin Group's carbon fibers and composites business, announced today that Tenax®TPCL, its thermoplastic consolidated laminates have been qualified for use in the A350 XWB aircraft, Airbus's new-generation extra-wide-body midsize jetliner.

Tenax®TPCL, which utilize carbon fiber composites made with high impact, heat and chemical resistant PEEK (polyetheretherketone) thermoplastic resin, are supplied by Toho Tenax Europe GmbH in Germany.

Toho Tenax is actively involved in developing new carbon-fiber materials and related solutions to render future Airbus aerostructures cost effective.

As a top supplier to Airbus for over 25 years, Toho Tenax has provided the aircraft maker with Tenax® carbon fiber filament yarn for a variety of aircraft families, including the A320, A330, A340 and primary composite structures of the A380. In June 2010, Toho Tenax signed a long-term agreement with　the Airbus Group regarding the supply of Tenax®TPCL for the A350 XWB aircraft structure.

"Tenax® carbon fiber, which was first qualified for use in the composite structure of the A320's vertical tail plane back in 1988, has long been valued by the aircraft industry for its stable supply and superior quality," said Takashi Yoshino, president of Toho Tenax. "As demand rises for weight-saving and energy-efficient solutions, the presence of Tenax® will expand even further. Going forward, we will accelerate our development of high-performance carbon fibers, intermediate materials and structural parts to offer enhanced solutions to the aircraft market."