抄録
Traditional carbon materials which have a long history of industrial importance have been competitive products in Japan for the last 30 years. Nevertheless, their research and development have recently been hardly discussed in academic communities, being overwhelmed by modern nanocarbons. Traditional carbon materials which include metallurgical cokes, activated carbons, and carbon blacks are still dominant in industry, bringing profits in Japan from the international market. Rapidly developing countries in Asia are making great efforts to catch up with our carbon technologies. The traditional carbon materials have now a chance to be developed further based on advances acquired in nanocarbon science and technology. This paper overviews the current and possible future features of traditional carbons. The authors expect that dedicated efforts of the carbon community in the coming years will result in industrial profit and academic challenges.
