Toray Industries, Inc develops a high-performance flexible polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin that provides enhanced flame retardancy and heat resistance. According to Toray, this is the world’s first PPS resin (as of the 1st of October 2025) to simultaneously deliver these capabilities. The material is free of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), making it more cost-effective compared to fluoropolymers.
Toray Industries
Figure 1: Noteworthy features and applications Radar chart comparing new material with Toray’s PPS and flexible PPS resins and fluoropolymer resins, based on the company’s measurements.
Prospective applications include cooling pipes, fittings, fasteners, protective components, and electrical parts. The resin also helps to reduce the number of parts while also simplifying processes.
The rapid proliferation of electrified vehicles and data centres has made components and electrical equipment parts more sophisticated and diverse. Fluoropolymers have been dominating the market, but demand for alternative materials is surging as users hope to avoid the risks associated with tightening PFAS regulations and commensurate raw materials procurement challenges.
From January 2026, Toray started supplying paid samples to customers for applications including battery peripheral and semiconductor manufacturing equipment components. The company is aiming to establish a mass production structure within fiscal 2026. While also complying with PFAS regulations and improving functionality, Toray will deploy this advanced material across diverse applications demanding high temperatures and high reliability.
Introducing Toray’s flexible PPS resin
As a result of these growing demands for alternatives, Toray has formulated its flexible resin with olefin elastomers that is ideal for applications that require its lightweight and mouldability capabilities. However, it has been technically challenging to deliver an alternative that is flexible, flame-retardant, and heat-resistant when compared with fluorinated resins.
The new material incorporates Toray’s NANOALLOY microstructure control technology. It finely disperses a new flexible component within the PPS polymer to replace elastomers. Meanwhile, the material’s flame retardancy corresponds to the V-0 (Vertical Burn) classification of UL94. Global private safety company UL Solutions, Inc., created a highly regarded standard for the safety of flammability of plastic materials for parts in devices and appliances testing. As a result, the material’s heat resistance and lightness surpasses those of conventional flexible PPS resins (see Figure 1).
