Anaori Carbon Co., Ltd.

The previous section was a list of specialty carbon products; however, for customers such as industrial kiln makers for metallurgy, we also have electric heating elements, high frequency electrode hot press molds and tool parts for use inside of kilns. Especially in the recent fine ceramic field for example, new high performance materials are being made by compressing and hardening materials such as aluminum nitride powder at elevated temperatures and elevated pressures (eg. 2,000℃ & 1,000 kg/cm2). For this, hot press kilns are being used and C/C molds and products such as carbon punch rods are increasingly needed.

Carbon has long been used in metallurgy for products such as trays, setters, and sample cases used in sintering kilns for metal products such as automobile parts and super hard work pieces. Furthermore, carbon has been used in mass volume in recent years for semiconductor production for metallurgy. For example, devices such as silicon mono crystal or poly crystal pulling equipment are made from hardened carbon. Crucibles, heaters, and insulation are all carbon. Also, carbon delivers diversity in its types of susceptors and holders used in semiconductor wafer treatment processing as well as ion implantation system electrodes and mask plates. In addition, carbon molds are increasingly being used for items such as dummy wafer carbon molds as well as PBN (Pyrolytic Boron Nitride) crucibles and boats for molds used in making semiconductor parts. Carbon is used for all of these because of its superiority in heat resistance and chemical stability.

It is not only increasing for use in machinery, but in many various fields. Mechanical seal applications are especially vast and it is still being widely used in bearings. This is because of carbon’s uses for its low friction property. It is also being used in abundance for electrical purposes for mass produced brushes in automobiles, trains, and household electricity, etc. All of the motors that operate windows and mirrors in automobiles use these brushes.

As for electrical applications, the prospect of using carbon electrodes for future fuel cells and electric automobile batteries is already being talked about. C/C composite for materials and airplane breaks is being developed and sold. Furthermore, carbon is being used for the inner and outer wall tiles of atomic reactors and for control materials in nuclear reactors. Also, because of carbon’s chemical stability, it has been used for many years in America for human heart valves.

Carbon is an ancient material that has been used for centuries, however in the ways mentioned above, new uses are quickly arising and the applications are vastly increasing because of its wonderful properties. Especially, in recent years, the necessity for high temperature processing in various hi-tech fields is increasing and that is expected to further increase in the future. In addition to carbon itself being used for so long as natural graphite and man made graphite, for many years now, new carbon materials such as C/C composite and glassy carbon have begun to be developed.

Furthermore, new carbon molecules that completely differ from graphite and diamond have recently been discovered. There is “fullerene”, which has a spherical structure similar to a soccer ball and “nanotube”, which has a tubular structure. There is also another new material beyond carbon material and carbon molecules themselves that is now only at the research level, however, it has high expectations for the future and is eagerly anticipated.