Sojitz Group company Daiichibo Co., Ltd. (Head office: Kita-ku, Osaka; President: Yukinori Fujisaki, wholly owned by Sojitz Corporation), which is engaged in spinning and clothing manufacture, has successfully developed a specially spun yarn 'CORE YARN', by employing an 'air-jet spinning' technology of its own, which is the highest level of such technology in the industry. 'CORE YARN' is a specially spun yarn manufactured in such way that a single core strand is covered with other fiber strands. Daiichibo will start mass-production of its CORE YARN utilizing, for the first time in the industry, the air-jet spinning method.

Daiichibo will launch sales of CORE YARN to underwear manufacturers under the trade name 'Center Island, as cool fabric for the 2007 spring and summer seasons. CORE YARN gives a cool-feeling and has moisture absorbing and quick-dry functions, which result from taking advantage of the thread being spun by the air-jet spinning method.

Unlike the conventional ring spinning method, air-jet spinning, in which method Daiichibo excels, is a yarn spinning technique which utilizes air jets to create yarn by combining and twisting fiber strands. The fluff generated on yarn made using this technique is about one tenth of that generated on yarn made with the use of the ring spinning method. Thus, clothes made from air-jet spun yarn leave very little lint after they have been washed, and have very good breathability.

One of the characteristics of CORE YARN, for example, is that it uses natural fibers such as cotton to cover a core strand, which is made from synthetic fiber such as polyester. Thus, areas of the fabric that come into contact with the skin are made from natural fibers while, at the same time, the technology employed enables CORE YARN material to resist shrinking, which is a weakness of natural fibers.

The 'Center Island' cool fabric brings about an effect of expediting moisture diffusion by using a W-shaped cross section polyester as its core strand, and by using a rayon fiber to cover the core strand, the material has the cool feeling that rayon fiber gives, and induces the spreading and drying of perspiration. Furthermore, use of the air-jet spinning method produces little fluff and improves breathability, leading to a significant decrease in fabric moisture-absorbance when clothing made from the material is worn.

Cross section photograph of 'Center Island'	Side view photograph of 'Center Island'