Lightweight and Strong Material Used throughout the World PAN-based Carbon Fiber (1959)
Carbon fiber is created by burning organic fibers, and contains more than 90% carbon. Its specific gravity is approximately one-fourth of that of iron and yet its strength is approximately 10 times higher, thus combining both lightness and strength. The PAN-based carbon fiber developed at the Osaka Industrial Technology Laboratory in the 1950s was widely used in sporting goods, etc. from the 1970s, and is currently used for the fuselage of passenger aircraft. When used in aircraft and automobiles, carbon fiber helps reduce CO2 emissions by improving fuel efficiency thanks to its lightness.