The production volume of PYLEN is the largest among polypropylene multifilament yarns in Japan. These yarns have recently been attracting considerable attention among industrial customers, principally for use in the manufacture of carpets and as industrial materials. As polypropylene is an easily recyclable material which is therefore more environmentally friendly than some other rival materials, there are strong expectations of a growth in the market for polypropylene filament yarns.
The price of polypropylene resin – the immediate raw material from which PYLEN is made – was raised in April of 2005 owing to the high price of crude oil worldwide and the continuing high price of naphtha in the East Asian region – the result of a sharp rise in demand. The price of polypropylene resin is once again expected to be raised in October or soon thereafter.
In these circumstances, the Company has implemented a series of measures to reduce costs, but the most recent round of increases in raw material prices has exceeded our capacity to absorb through internal cost-cutting alone, forcing us to raise the price of PYLEN for the second time this year, following an initial price hike in January.
The applications of PYLEN range across carpets(including office-use tile carpets, household carpets and vehicle floor mats), synthetic ropes for marine use, netting for concrete curing, filtering-use materials, narrow-woven fabrics, plaited cords, and seat covers.
For the foreseeable future, we project increased demand for polypropylene filament yarns, in view of their superior qualities in terms of low environmental load and easy recyclability. Demand is likely to remain strong in automotive applications, where the manufacturers are being pressed to raise the recycling rate of all vehicle components, and we also have good hopes of extending the range of PYLEN’s application to tents, where its excellent weatherability and toughness will be major selling points. We are also aiming to open up new demand areas in the clothing industry, particularly for underwear. |
