Development History of PAN based Carbon Fiber Technology
YearWorld Carbon Fiber Technology Development and Other Related Activities

1952

U.S.A.: DuPont had developed Orlon technology by this year.

1954

U.S.A.: UCC started selling high-tension-rayon based fiber Thernel-25.
U.S.A.: Barnebey-Cheney started selling carbon fiber-tow, mat, and rayon
based cotton.
Japan: Asahi Kasei and other companies published materialization of acrylic
fiber commercial production.
U.S.A.: National Carbon, a subsidiary of UCC, supplied rayon-based carbon
fiber to Air Force Material Laboratory (AFML).
Japan: Dr. Shindo, a member of Osaka Technical Laboratory (OTL), filed abasic patent applications relating to PAN-based graphite fiber technology
Toray registered its trade mark "Toraylon".
(Patent publication SHO-37-4405 and -38-12375)
Japan: Asahi, a newspaper publisher, reported achievement of Dr. Shindo's
above-mentioned R&D
Japan: Dr. Shindo published his technical reports relating to PAN-based
Toray commenced its R&D for carbon fiber
graphite fiber on Journal of OTL.
technology.
Japan: OTL, Nihon Carbon, Tokai Electrode, Matsushita Electric, and Nitto
Textile started carrying out of R&D of carbon fiber technology.
U.K. Royal Air Public Corporation (RAE) succeeded production of PANbased highly-elastic carbon fiber.
"U.K. Royal Research & Development Corporation (NRDC) obtained a patentright relating to highly-elastic carbon fiber and nation-wide development
project of carbon fiber in U.K. was commenced.
Japan Nihon Carbon and Tokai Electrode respectively announced
commercialization of carbon fiber production based on OTL technology."
U.K. Royal Nuclear Power Corporation (AERA) commenced R&D of industrial
production technology of carbon fiber.

1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
19621963

1964

1965

Carbon Fiber Technology Development by Toray
Toray commenced basic research activity foracrylic fiber development.

Carbon Fiber Technology Development by Mitsubishi Rayon Carbon Fiber Technology Development by Toho Tenax

1966
1967

U.K. Rolls-Royce carried out development of commercial jet engine using
carbon fiber.
Toray filed three patent applications relating tocarbon fiver.

1968

Mitsubishi Rayon commenced its basic R&D for precursor
technology.

1969
1970
1971

1972

Toho Tenax commenced its R&D for development of precursor
and carbon fiber technology.

Toray got license of Dr. Shindo's patent rights.
Toray started commercial production of its carbon
fiber "Torayca".
Japan: A Japanese company Olympic displayed its fishing rod for fishing of
Ayu fish, “Seiki”, made of Toray’s “Toreka” at a trade fair.
Pacific Masters Golf Tournament: Gay Brewers won championship using golf
clubs having carbon fiber shaft, which stirred boom to buy and use “blackshaft golf clubs”.

Toho Tenax commenced its R&D of carbon fiber technology at its
pilot scale plant.
Toho Tenax determined commercialization of its carbon fiber
technology and started up its carbon fiber commercial production.

1975

1976

Mitsubishi Rayon started its market development using
imported intermediate carbon fiber products andcommenced its own commercial production of intermediatecarbon fiber products.

1977

Mitsubishi Rayon was granted license of HITOCO’s carbon
fiber calcinations technology and started import of carbon
fiber from other producers.

1981

Mitsubishi Rayon commenced its commercial calcinations ofcarbon fiber.