Recent Research and Technological Development of Cellulose in Japan

Abstract

Production of chemical industries related to cellulose in Japan changed as shown in Figure 1. The production of viscose rayon reached to a maximum in 1937-38 and decreased to one twentieth during and after the second world war due to converting of the factories to munitions manufacturing and destruction. From around 1950, the production rapidly increased and the total production of cellulosic fibers is ca. 500,000 tons/year for these ten years. In the field of cellulosic fibers, several companies stopped production of viscose rayon filament yarn and high tenacity yarn for tire cord and the output of those fibers decreased, while the output of cellulose acetate fibers and viscose rayon staples increased. The manufacturers of cellulosic fibers and cellulose derivatives in Japan are listed in Tables I and II. Investigations on cellulose were active in 1930's and also after the second world war, especially on rayon fibers of new type