Vol.1｜“Electric Fibers” Open Up New Lifestyles”

The “electric fibers” open up a new everyday life.
- The beginning of the development of Pieclex and its possibilities. -

The idea of clothes generating electricity in our daily lives may sound a bit far in the future.However, the material called Pieklex was created with the aim of realizing such a “new normal.

Pieclex is a fiber made from polylactic acid derived from plants such as sugarcane and corn, and the fiber itself has the property of generating electricity with the slightest movement.
The electricity generates an antimicrobial effect that persists even after repeated washing.

The fact that the company name and the name of the material are the same shows the strength of the company's commitment.
 

Murata had originally been developing a transparent film-like material called “PicoLeaf,” and as an extension of that development, the idea was born, “Couldn't this be applied to fibers?” The idea was born as an extension of this development.
When we initially proposed it to a sock manufacturer for use as a sensor, they said, “If it has an antibacterial effect, we would like to use it,” and development began in earnest.

Polylactic acid has been around for a long time, but it has been difficult to commercialize because it is heat sensitive and difficult to process. It was a big challenge for Pieclex to overcome this problem.

Because of the material's limitations, we explored what we could do with it.
Pieclex is now moving to the next stage as an “electric fiber” that is both environmentally friendly and functional.