Teijin Ltd., and the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed the world's first carbon nanofiber (CNF) with an elliptical cross-section containing highly-developed graphite layers aligned in the same direction. The new CNF is 10 times larger than conventional ones and was developed using melt-spinning techniques similar to those used in creating chemical fibers. The shared creation process will allow companies to use existing equipment and avoid adding any signficant operational costs. The research team believes that their CNF is capable of achieving a 30-40% increase in conductivity. This increase is made possible by the length of the fiber and the way layers of well-developed carbon are positioned in a single direction. They also found multiple loop-shaped graphene layers that increase chemical reactivity, which provides higher connectivity with resins and greater dispersion in liquid substances. Teijin believes this CNF can be used to help improve batteries for next-generation vehicles.

SOURCE: Teijin Press Release