Teijin’s Tenax & PAN Bag ISCC PLUS Certificate
Teijin Limited’s Tenax Carbon Fibre and the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor fibre produced at Teijin’s Mishima plant in Japan have received ISCC PLUS certification from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification system.
“This is the world’s first instance that Carbon fibre and PAN have simultaneously earned this certification, which is a globally recognised standard for the recovery of waste and residues that provide feedstocks for circular plastics,” Teijin said.
The PAN precursor fibre is made from sustainable acrylonitrile (AN) using waste and residue from biomass-derived products or recycled raw materials, and produced by using the mass balance approach method.
“With this method, materials are verifiably tracked through complex value chains, for example, when biomass-derived raw materials are mixed with petroleum-derived raw materials to create products,” the Japanese company informed.
“Because the sustainable AN has the same physical properties as petroleum-derived AN, PAN and Tenax Carbon Fibre based on this material deliver the same physical properties as equivalent fossil-based products,” Teijin added.
“This similarity allows customers to easily replace TenaxTM Carbon Fiber with more-sustainable alternatives that can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the product life cycle,” it explained.
Teijin expects to begin commercial production of PAN and TenaxM using the mass balance approach method at the Mishima plant by the first half of 2024.
Also, the company will pursue ISCC PLUS certification for its carbon fibre and related products produced in Europe, the United States and Asia to expand availability of its sustainable products.