{"id":4597,"date":"2026-04-21T18:13:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T09:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/?p=4597"},"modified":"2026-04-21T18:13:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T09:13:22","slug":"toray-develops-fabric-adhesive-films-with-eco-friendly-release-liner-free-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/toray-develops-fabric-adhesive-films-with-eco-friendly-release-liner-free-design","title":{"rendered":"Toray Develops Fabric Adhesive Films with Eco-Friendly Release Liner-Free Design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tokyo, Japan, April 21, 2026 \u2013 Toray Industries, Inc.<\/a><\/strong>, announced today that it has developed a fabric adhesive film whose design selectively eliminates the need for a release liner (see note 1). Micron-level protrusions on the film\u2019s surface keep the surface non-sticky without a release liner while ensuring firm adhesion. The company will market the film for diverse applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protrusions in Toray\u2019s new film protect the adhesive layer from inadvertent contact with fingers or metal, plastic, or other smooth surfaces (see Figure 1). At the same time, fibers from cloth, non-woven fabrics, or other textiles can enter gaps between those protrusions and contact that layer (Figure 2).
<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Figure 1. Basic structure of new film<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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Figure 2. Selective adhesion mechanism<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Fabric and clothing adhesive products like heat patches, number tags for athletes, and medical pads commonly have release liners so they do not stick to unintended surfaces or each other. The liners are mostly incinerated after removal. The Resource Circulation Project (note 2) and Japan-Earth Conscious Labeling association (note 3) are exploring ways to address this waste and expand recycling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That focus is fueling interest in adhesive technologies that remove the need for release liners without harming usability. The environmental and design benefits could be substantial. Adhesive heat patches using Toray\u2019s liner-free design (note 4), for example, could reduce waste by an estimated 247 metric tons per year. After factoring out the heating element, the warmers could also be about 60% lighter and 38% thinner than current products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toray expects its film to generate \u00a51 billion in annual revenue by fiscal 2030, with applications extending from cooling sheets, disposable diapers, nursing pads, and other consumer goods to medical and apparel products. By developing high-performance materials that are more sustainable and efficient, the company will stay true to its ongoing commitment to delivering new value and contributing to social progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notes
\uff11\uff0eRelease liner paper or film is coated with silicone or another release agent to preventunwanted adhesion.
\uff12\uff0eThe Resource Recycling Project brings together companies across the adhesive labelsupply chain to collect and recycle release liners, which generate a lot of industrialwaste, and cut carbon dioxide emissions and eliminate their disposal. The JapanPartnership for Circular Economy has cited this initiative as a leading example ofcircular economy progress. The partnership\u2019s founders were the Ministry of theEnvironment, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Japan BusinessFederation.
Website (Japanese only): https:\/\/www.shigenjunkan.com\/
\uff13\uff0eJapan-Earth Conscious Labeling association members collect and recycle release linersto drive circularity in their industry.
Website (Japanese only): https:\/\/www.j-ecol.or.jp\/
\uff14\uff0eWhen estimating the use of its new material in adhesive heat patches, Toray estimatedthe product composition based on the average values of three commercially availableregular-sized products. It estimated release liner waste reductions using fiscal 2024 salesdata from the Japan Pocket Warmer Industry Association.
Website (Japanese only): https:\/\/www.kairo.jp\/2025\/06\/25\/
Assumptions per heat patch
\u30fbRelease liner weight: 0.67 grams
\u30fbWeight of plastic materials: 2.8 grams
\u30fbThickness of plastic materials: 294 micrometers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tokyo, Japan, April 21, 2026 \u2013 Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it has developed a fabric adhesive film whose design selectively eliminates the need for a release liner (see note 1). Micron-level protrusions on the film\u2019s surface keep the surface non-sticky without a release liner while ensuring firm adhesion. The company will market the film for diverse applications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,9],"tags":[10],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4597"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4597"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4601,"href":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4597\/revisions\/4601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctiweb.co.jp\/con\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}