Toray Industries
Japanese multinational materials and chemicals company known for synthetic fibers, engineering plastics, carbon fiber, films, membranes, and advanced composite technologies.
Last updated October 18, 2026
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Overview
Toray Industries, Inc. is a Japanese multinational materials and chemicals company whose operations are built around organic synthetic chemistry, polymer chemistry, and biochemistry. The company began in 1926 as Toyo Rayon, a fiber producer established by Mitsui Bussan at a time when Japan was seeking to develop domestic capability in rayon and other synthetic materials. Although its initial business was concentrated in fibers and textiles, Toray gradually expanded into plastics, chemicals, films, carbon fiber, composite materials, membranes, medical products, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, electronics-related materials, information-technology products, housing, engineering, and research services. Synthetic fibers remain central to the company’s industrial identity. Toray developed domestic nylon technology during the early years of the industry and began producing nylon fiber during the Second World War period. Its fiber technologies later became important in apparel, sportswear, industrial textiles, fishing nets, tire reinforcement, and other applications. Since the late 1990s, Toray has also maintained a long-running product-development relationship with Fast Retailing’s Uniqlo. That relationship helped bring Toray-developed or Toray-supported textile technologies to consumers through product lines such as Heattech thermal innerwear and Airism lightweight, quick-drying apparel. Toray is particularly prominent in carbon fiber and advanced composites. The company describes itself as the world’s largest carbon-fiber producer, and its materials have been used in aerospace structures, including exterior components of the Boeing 787. The business has been strengthened through international production and acquisitions, including the purchase of Zoltek, a carbon-fiber producer, and the announced acquisition of TenCate Advanced Composites. Toray also expanded precursor production in France to support aerospace and other composite-material applications. Beyond fibers and composites, the group produces engineering plastics, resins, films, chemicals, water-treatment membranes, reverse-osmosis membranes, medical materials, and electronics-related products. Its membrane technologies serve water purification and desalination applications, while its polymer and film businesses supply industrial, consumer, packaging, and electronics markets. Toray’s portfolio therefore spans both high-volume material businesses and highly engineered products requiring specialized formulation, processing, and application knowledge. The company operates internationally across Asia, Europe, North America, and Mexico, with operations in approximately 20 countries and regions. It is headquartered in Tokyo and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under ticker 3402.T. Toray has also been included in major Japanese equity indexes, including the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX 100. Its present positioning combines the scale of an integrated chemical manufacturer with application-specific expertise in fibers, polymers, membranes, carbon fiber, and composite materials.
History
Toray Industries was established in 1926 under the name Toyo Rayon. Mitsui Bussan, one of Japan’s major trading companies, created the business to develop domestic rayon production. The venture was technologically ambitious because it initially lacked the equipment and know-how needed to manufacture rayon at scale. After attempts to obtain technology from foreign chemical companies proved too expensive, the company acquired equipment from a German engineering firm and recruited foreign engineers to help establish operations. The company’s early identity was therefore rooted in synthetic fibers and textiles. In the 1930s, the emergence of nylon created a new field of competition. After obtaining a sample through Mitsui Bussan’s New York office, Toyo Rayon began its own research into polyamide chemistry. Patent restrictions meant that the company had to develop its own synthesis and fiber-processing capabilities rather than simply reproduce an externally supplied process. By 1941, it had completed basic nylon research and began building a small Nylon 6 production facility. Production started in 1943, with fishing nets among the early applications. After the Second World War, DuPont requested an investigation into possible infringement of its nylon patents. An investigation conducted through the Allied occupation authorities found no evidence that Toyo Rayon had infringed those patents and recognized the company’s nylon technology as independently developed. This episode helped establish the company’s technical independence and supported its subsequent development as a Japanese synthetic-fiber producer. During the postwar decades, Toray broadened its chemical and materials base. Fiber operations were complemented by plastics, resins, films, chemicals, industrial textiles, and engineering materials. The company increasingly emphasized research and application development, using expertise in polymer chemistry and processing to serve customers in apparel, transportation, packaging, electronics, construction, and industrial manufacturing. It later added businesses involving pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical products, water-treatment membranes, information technology, housing, and engineering. A major later development was the expansion of carbon fiber and advanced composite materials. Toray became a leading global carbon-fiber producer and developed relationships with aerospace manufacturers. Its carbon fiber has been used in exterior components of the Boeing 787, illustrating the company’s movement from commodity-oriented fibers toward high-performance structural materials. International manufacturing investments, including a polyacrylonitrile precursor line in France, helped support this aerospace and composites strategy. The acquisition of Zoltek in 2013 and the planned acquisition of TenCate Advanced Composites in 2018 further expanded the group’s position in carbon fiber and composite applications. Toray also built a visible consumer-facing connection through its long-running collaboration with Uniqlo, which began in the late 1990s. Joint development contributed to Heattech thermal innerwear and Airism lightweight, quick-drying apparel, connecting Toray’s textile research with large-scale retail distribution. In November 2017, Toray acknowledged 149 cases of falsified quality data dating from 2008 through 2016. The issue included tests involving tire-reinforcement cords and raised questions about internal controls and customer assurance. Boeing and Uniqlo were among companies identified as Toray customers that could have been affected. Despite the quality scandal, Toray continued operating as a diversified international materials group. It remains headquartered in Tokyo, conducts business across Asia, Europe, North America, and Mexico, and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
- 2018
TenCate Advanced Composites acquisition is announced
[1]Toray announces a plan to acquire TenCate Advanced Composites to strengthen its advanced-composites business.
- 2017
Quality-data falsification is disclosed
[1]Toray acknowledges 149 cases of falsified quality data covering 2008–2016.
- 2014
French carbon-fiber precursor line opens
[1]Toray opens a polyacrylonitrile production line in Lacq, France, supporting carbon-fiber manufacturing.
- 2013
Zoltek acquisition is announced
[1]Toray announces a planned acquisition of Zoltek for approximately US$500 million; Zoltek later becomes a wholly owned subsidiary.
- 1946
Nylon patent investigation finds no infringement
[1]An investigation requested by DuPont finds no evidence that Toyo Rayon infringed DuPont’s nylon patents.
- 1943
Nylon production begins
[1]Toyo Rayon starts nylon production, with fishing nets among the early uses.
- 1941
Basic Nylon 6 research is completed
[1]The company completes fundamental research on Nylon 6 and begins construction of a small production facility.
- 1926
Toyo Rayon is established
[1]Mitsui Bussan establishes Toyo Rayon to develop rayon and synthetic-fiber production in Japan.
Products and positioning
A globally integrated advanced-materials company combining large-scale chemical and fiber production with specialized technologies in carbon fiber, composites, polymers, films, membranes, and biotechnology.
Fibers and textiles · 1926
Synthetic fibers
Synthetic fibers are Toray’s historical foundation and include nylon and other polymer-based fibers for apparel, sportswear, industrial textiles, fishing nets, tire reinforcement, and related applications. The company combines polymer chemistry with spinning, finishing, and textile-processing technologies to tailor properties such as strength, softness, moisture management, thermal behavior, and drying speed.
Advanced materials
Carbon fiber
Toray is a major global carbon-fiber producer. Its carbon fiber is used where low weight, high strength, and stiffness are important, including aerospace, transportation, sporting goods, energy, and industrial equipment. The business includes precursor production, carbonization, and material forms designed for subsequent composite processing.
Composite materials
Advanced composite materials
Toray supplies carbon-fiber-reinforced and other advanced composite materials for demanding structural applications. These materials support aerospace and transportation programs as well as industrial uses, with the company’s capabilities extending across fibers, prepregs, intermediate materials, and application engineering.
Plastics and chemicals
Engineering plastics and resins
Toray’s plastics and resin businesses provide polymer materials for industrial, automotive, electronics, consumer, and other manufactured products. These materials are positioned around combinations of mechanical strength, heat resistance, chemical resistance, dimensional stability, and processability.
Films
Polymer films
Toray produces specialty and industrial films based on its polymer-processing expertise. Film applications include packaging, electronics, industrial products, and other uses requiring controlled thickness, strength, barrier performance, insulation, or surface properties.
Membranes and environmental materials
Water-treatment membranes
Toray develops membranes for water purification, desalination, and industrial water treatment, including large reverse-osmosis membranes. The business applies polymer and membrane science to separate salts, contaminants, and other dissolved or suspended substances from water.
Consumer textile technology
Heattech textile technology
Heattech is a winter innerwear line developed through the Toray–Uniqlo relationship. Its textile concept is designed to convert or retain body moisture and warmth in a lightweight garment, translating fiber and fabric research into a mass-market apparel proposition.
Consumer textile technology
Airism textile technology
Airism is a lightweight summer apparel line associated with Toray and Uniqlo joint development. The fabrics are designed for a smooth, light feel and rapid drying, using very fine fibers and moisture-management characteristics for warm-weather clothing.
Controversies
2019
Toray files patent lawsuit against Changyang Technology in China
Toray Industries filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Ningbo Changyang Technology in the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court. The filing sought to stop the manufacture and sale in China of specified white films and claimed damages. Reports described the initiation of the case; they did not state that a court had determined infringement or reached any outcome. The event is recorded as a patent dispute brought by Toray against Changyang Technology concerning those white film products in the Chinese market.
2017
Quality-data falsification scandal
Toray admitted that quality data had been falsified in 149 cases between 2008 and 2016. The cases included tests on tire-strengthening cords and raised concerns about the reliability of product certification and internal quality controls. Customers identified as potentially affected included Boeing and Uniqlo.
Brand decisions
2018
Acquire TenCate Advanced CompositesM&ABackground
Toray aimed to increase its capabilities in advanced composites and reinforce its carbon-fiber strategy.
Action taken
The company announced a plan to acquire TenCate Advanced Composites.
Aftermath
The transaction was intended to broaden Toray’s advanced-composites capabilities, particularly for aerospace and other high-performance applications.
2014
Expand carbon-fiber precursor production in FranceStrategyBackground
Growing aerospace and advanced-composites demand required additional production capacity for polyacrylonitrile, a carbon-fiber precursor.
Action taken
Toray opened a polyacrylonitrile production line in Lacq, southwestern France.
Aftermath
The facility strengthened Toray’s European carbon-fiber and aerospace-composites supply base.
2013
Acquire ZoltekM&ABackground
Toray sought to expand its position in carbon fiber and related industrial materials.
Action taken
The company announced a planned acquisition of Zoltek for approximately US$500 million and subsequently made it a wholly owned subsidiary.
Aftermath
Zoltek continued operating as a separate business unit within the Toray group.
Announced acquisition value. Approximately US$500 million (2013 announcement)
Recent events
Toray announces planned marketing of FILTRYZER HDF[4]
Reported:
Toray announced that it had developed FILTRYZER HDF, a PMMA hollow-fiber membrane-based hemodiafiltration device, and that its wholly owned Toray Medical would begin marketing it in December 2021.
Toray annual report wins International ARC Awards Gold Award[5]
Reported:
Toray Industries announced that the Toray Integrated Annual Report 2019 won a Gold Award in the Integrated AR & CSR: Traditional Format Section of the Specialized Annual Reports Category of the International ARC Awards 2020.
Toray receives Chemical Society of Japan award for technical development[6]
Reported:
Toray received the 2020 CSJ Award for Young Chemist in Technical Development for its prediction method for fluoropolymer interfacial free energy using molecular simulations.
Toray files patent lawsuit against Changyang Technology in China[3]
Reported:
Toray filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Ningbo Changyang Technology in the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court, seeking to stop the manufacture and sale in China of specified white films and claiming damages. The article reports the filing, not a court determination of infringement.
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