Teijin Aramid started manufacturing the first all black aramid fiber

black Twaron, in The Netherlands. Twaron, normally golden yellow in color due to the chemical process, now is completely black for the first time. With its three production sites in the Netherlands, Teijin Aramid is responsible for more than half of the world’s production of aramid.

Aramid is difficult to dye by nature, but it is now possible to produce black threads of the same quality creating black Twaron. Twaron is five times stronger than steel at the same weight and is often used in bullet-proof vests, ropes and cables, sails and firefighter suits.

At the request of customers in the sailing and sports industries, Teijin Aramid started to investigate other colors for Twaron. Black Twaron will soon be seen for the first time in the sails of the world’s largest sailing race, the Volvo Ocean Race.

Production of black Twaron

For the threads to become completely black, they are not dyed afterwards, like cotton fibers. The production process has been adjusted to inject the fiber with the black dye during the process. This makes it the first black aramid fiber with characteristics that are equivalent to the standard golden yellow fiber.

Gert Frederiks, CEO of Teijin Aramid, explains: “With black Twaron, it is possible to combine the special characteristics of the aramid fiber with a beautiful look. Black aramid fibers have already been produced in the world, but they do not have the same characteristics (modulus) as the standard Twaron aramid fiber.”

Aramid fibers are frequently used in water sports and sportswear, but combined with carbon. “For example, you often see the golden yellow of aramid in sails on a professional yacht or the underside of a canoe. With Twaron Black, it becomes part of the whole and maintains the same characteristics.”