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Research paper : Study on the PAN carbon-fiber-innovation for modeling a successful R&D management (O. Nakamura et al.)−156−Synthesiology - English edition Vol.2 No.2 (2009) and graphite woven fabric with considerable mechanical strength,’ and this is expected to become new industrial material in the future.” At this point, focus of carbon material shifted to fiber graphite in addition to conventional graphite materials for nuclear reactors, and we could see that this was an organizational effort.When Tadashi Sengoku became the director general on August 1958, many results were produced at GIRIO and the number of publications and patent applications increased sharply. As will be mentioned later, this was the time when the economic growth was taking off in Japan, and many companies established research laboratories to capture the wave of technological innovations. The companies dispatched their personnel to GIRIO to seek technical assistance. There were several people who left GIRIO at the invitation from the private sectors. The exchange of human resource with industry was promoted.In 1961, which was two years after filing the basic patent for carbon fiber, the “Technological Consultation Office” was established to process the work of technical assistance and consultation to transfer the research results, many of which were valuable research that remained unused at GIRIO, to the appropriate private companies. The management at that time was highly aware of the collaborations with industry.2.3 Motivation that lead to the inventionDr. Shindo, the inventor, joined GIRIO in 1952, and was assigned to work on carbon at the laboratory, yet he did not think that the result would necessarily be put to industrial use. Dr. Shindo sought a novel theme for his engineering technology research with a basic stance of “wanting to be useful to society.”With this mindset, he found an article in a newspaper that he read as part of daily information gathering, that fibrous graphite was manufactured in the United States (Fig. 2)[10]. Fig. 1 Flow of carbon fiber development. U.S.A.: Patent application for carbon fiber using rayon as starting material (W.F. Abbott)UCC supplies rayon carbon fiber fabric to the U.S. Air ForceBusiness slump of Rolls RoyceDevelopment of carbon fiber from RAE acryl fiberDevelopment of RAE carbon fiber (tension treatment)Celanese U.S. starts production of carbon fiberUCC starts production of PAN carbon fiberAerospacedevelopmentInternationalactivitiesShindoIndustryJoins GIRIOReads article on carbon fiberBasic patent appliedPresentation at academic conferenceDissertationPresentation at international conference*Tension treatment method19851980 1975 1970 1965 1960 1955 1950 Invents pre-treatment methodIndicates advantages of carbon fiberColonel Posternak visits GIRIOCross license between Toray-UCCStandardization research startedJIS establishment・Toyo Carbon starts research・Technical assistance ‒ Nippon Carbon, Matsushita Electric (1962)・Toray ‒ Starts carbon fiber research (1968)Uses HEN・Toray ‒ Starts carbon fiber project・Starts sales of products using carbon fiber (1972)・Toray ‒ Semi-works plant begins operation (1973)・Toho Rayon enters competition (1975)・Toray ‒ Monthly production 35 tons (1979)・Mitsubishi Rayon starts production (1983)・Toray ‒ Launches Torayca thread with tensile strength 7000 MPa (1986)* HEN: Abbreviation of hydroxyethyl acrylonitrile. By copolymerization, firing time was reduced and great improvement in mechanical property was achieved.

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