Toray Expands Advanced Materials Push for EV and Urban Air Mobility Markets

Published date:06/05/2026 | Last updated date:06/05/2026

Toray Advanced Materials is strengthening its focus on high-value industrial sectors with the expansion of advanced materials including meta-aramid fibers and lightweight acoustic solutions aimed at electric vehicles and future urban air mobility platforms.

The company showcased its latest materials technologies at Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany, highlighting products designed for thermal protection, lightweighting and noise management.

Arwin meta-aramid fiber targets high-temperature applications

One of the key products presented was Arwin, Toray’s meta-aramid fiber manufactured using the company’s proprietary dry-jet wet spinning process.

According to the company, Arwin offers:

• heat resistance above 400°C
• flame retardancy
• electrical insulation performance
• high thermal stability

Toray has established annual production capacity of approximately 5,400 metric tons for the material.

The company is targeting several high-value applications, including:

• ultra-high-voltage transformers
• electric vehicle systems
• heat-resistant industrial apparel
• advanced electrical insulation

Meta-aramid fibers are increasingly important as electrification expands across automotive and energy infrastructure sectors, where thermal management and fire safety standards continue becoming more demanding.

Airlite acoustic material focuses on lightweight noise reduction

Toray also introduced Airlite, an ultra-fine nonwoven acoustic material produced through a meltblown process combining polypropylene and polyester.

The material is designed to deliver broad-frequency sound absorption while reducing overall system weight.

The company said Airlite is seeing growing interest from electric vehicle manufacturers, where lightweight noise-control solutions are becoming more important as quieter drivetrains make cabin noise more noticeable.

Toray currently has annual supply capacity of roughly 4,800 tons for Airlite.

Why acoustic materials matter more in EVs

Unlike internal combustion vehicles, EVs generate less engine noise, exposing other sound sources such as:

• road vibration
• tire noise
• wind turbulence
• structural resonance

As a result, automakers are increasingly investing in lightweight sound-absorbing materials that improve passenger comfort without significantly increasing vehicle mass.

Toray also sees future opportunities in the urban air mobility (UAM) sector, where lightweight acoustic materials could become critical for managing cabin and propulsion noise in electric air vehicles.

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Editorial perspective

The significance of Toray’s announcement goes beyond individual products.

The company is positioning itself around two major industrial transitions happening simultaneously:

1. electrification
2. lightweight mobility systems

Both trends require materials that combine:

• thermal resistance
• fire safety
• low weight
• acoustic control
• manufacturing scalability

As EVs, high-voltage systems and future air mobility platforms become more mainstream, advanced fiber and nonwoven materials are likely to move from specialty applications into core structural and functional roles across transportation industries.