Toho Beslon Co., Ltd.

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Masatoshi Yoshida

Minoru Hirai

Kenji Fukuta

Kazuhisa Saito

Hiroyuki Kosuda

Ryuzo Ono-Oka

A process for producing activated carbon fibers of high adsorption capacity which comprises oxidizing an acrylonitrile based fiber, wherein the acrylonitrile based fiber is a homopolymer of acrylonitrile, a copolymer containing about 60% by weight or more of acrylonitrile, or a mixture of polymers such that about 60% by weight or more of acrylonitrile is present in the mixture, in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature of about 200.degree. C. to about 300.degree. C. while applying a tension to the fiber until the amount of bonded oxygen reaches about 65% to about 95% of the saturated amount of bonded oxygen of the fiber, wherein the tension applied is such that the shrinkage of the fiber during oxidation reaches about 70% to about 90% of the degree of free shrinkage at the same temperature, and then activating the fiber.

Process for production of activated carbon fibers

A process for producing activated carbon fibers comprising subjecting an acrylonitrile based fiber to oxidation processing in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature of about 200.degree. C. to about 300.degree. C. while applying a tension to the fiber until the amount of bonded oxygen reaches about 50% to about 90% of the saturated amount of bonded oxygen followed by activation processing.

A method for forming a uniformly mixed fibrous mat which comprises feeding a continuous high tensile modulus reinforcing fibrous material and a pre-cut thermoplastic fibrous material with a lower melting point or softening point than the temperature at which the reinforcing fibrous material melts or is damaged to a rotating rotor which is provided with projections to thereby cut the continuous fibrous material and pluck the pre-cut fibrous material, dispersing the thus treated fibrous materials into an air flow to mix the same and thereafter collecting the resulting mixed materials on a net to yield the mat. The product can thereafter optionally be compressed under heat to melt only the thermoplastic fibrous material to thereby consolidate the mat.

Growing community of inventors

Mishima, Japan

Masatoshi Yoshida