TOKYO, March 3, 2021 -- Ube Industries, Ltd. (hereinafter "Ube Industries;" President: Masato Izumihara) announced today that it is supplying polyamide (nylon) 6 resin for the new MIRAI fuel cell vehicle (FCV) that was recently released by Toyota Motor Corporation (hereinafter "Toyota Motor;" President: Akio Toyoda). Sold commercially as UBE NYLON^™ 1218IU, the nylon 6 resin was co-developed by Toyota Motor and Ube Industries for use as a plastic liner material in the high-pressure hydrogen tank for FCVs. Ube Industries has supplied UBE NYLON^™ 1218IU for the application in the MIRAI ever since its debut in 2014.

UBE NYLON^™ 1218IU satisfies stringent standards to be approved as a plastic liner material for the high-pressure hydrogen tank in the MIRAI. As the innermost component of the tank, the plastic liner prevents hydrogen from leaking out of the tank. The nylon 6 resin delivers superior performance for hydrogen permeation prevention and excellent mechanical performance, in terms of durability to withstand sudden changes in tank temperature from filling and discharging hydrogen, and impact resistance in low-temperature environments.

Ube Industries began manufacturing and marketing nylon 6 resin in 1959, and is a leading producer in the world with a global manufacturing capacity of 198 kilotonnes annually. In recent years, in response to the increasingly sophisticated needs of customers, Ube Industries' nylon composite business has earned high praise for its ability to propose best suited technologies and products through joint development with customers, as well as for its solution-providing business based on its stable quality. UBE Industries has production facilities for nylon composites in Japan, Asia, Europe and North America and establishes an appropriate global supply system of UBE NYLON^™ 1218 IU for the use as a plastic liner material in high-pressure hydrogen tanks.

Toyota MIRAI fuel cell unit