Abstract: A first aspect of the present invention is carbon fiber wherein the surface of a monofilament has a center line average roughness Ra of 6.0 nm or more and 13 nm or less, and the monofilament has a long diameter/short diameter ratio of 1.11 or more and 1.245 or less. A second aspect of the present invention is carbon fiber precursor acrylic fiber wherein the surface of a monofilament has a center line average roughness Ra of 18 nm or more and 27 nm or less, and the monofilament has a long diameter/short diameter ratio of 1.11 or more and 1.245 or less. The carbon fiber according to the first aspect is obtained by stabilizing and carbonizing under specific conditions the carbon fiber precursor acrylic fiber according to the second aspect.

Abstract: A first aspect of the present invention is carbon fiber wherein the surface of a monofilament has a center line average roughness Ra of 6.0 nm or more and 13 nm or less, and the monofilament has a long diameter/short diameter ratio of 1.11 or more and 1.245 or less. A second aspect of the present invention is carbon fiber precursor acrylic fiber wherein the surface of a monofilament has a center line average roughness Ra of 18 nm or more and 27 nm or less, and the monofilament has a long diameter/short diameter ratio of 1.11 or more and 1.245 or less. The carbon fiber according to the first aspect is obtained by stabilizing and carbonizing under specific conditions the carbon fiber precursor acrylic fiber according to the second aspect.

Abstract: Provided is a carbon fiber bundle for obtaining a fiber-reinforced plastic having high mechanical characteristics. An acrylonitrile swollen fiber for a carbon fiber having openings of 10 nm or more in width in the circumference direction of the swollen fiber at a ratio in the range of 0.3 openings/?m2 or more and 2 openings/?m2 or less on the surface of the swollen fiber, and the swollen fiber is not treated with a finishing oil agent. A precursor fiber obtained by treating the swollen fiber with a silicone-based finishing oil agent has a silicon content of 1700 ppm or more and 5000 ppm or less, and the silicon content is 50 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less after the finishing oil agent is washed away with methyl ethyl ketone by using a Soxhlet extraction apparatus for 8 hours. The fiber is preferably an acrylonitrile copolymer containing acrylonitrile in an amount of 96.0 mass % or more and 99.7 mass % or less and an unsaturated hydrocarbon having at least one carboxyl group or ester group in an amount of 0.

Abstract: Provided is a carbon fiber bundle for obtaining a fiber-reinforced resin having high mechanical characteristics. A carbon fiber bundle formed of single carbon fibers, each of which has no uneven surface structure of 0.6 ?m or more in length extending in the longitudinal direction of the single fiber; which has an uneven structure having a difference in height (Rp?v) of 5 to 25 nm between the highest portion and the lowest portion of the surface of the single fiber and having an average roughness Ra of 2 to 6 nm; and which has a ratio of the major axis to the minor axis (major axis/minor axis) of a cross-section of the single fiber of 1.00 to 1.01, wherein a mass of the single fiber per unit length falls within the range of 0.030 to 0.042 mg/m; a strand strength is 5900 MPa or more; a strand elastic modulus measured by the ASTM method is 250 to 380 GPa; and a knot tenacity is 900 N/mm2 or more.

Abstract: A carbon fiber manufacturing method with which high quality carbon fibers can be obtained. The carbon fiber manufacturing method includes introducing carbon fiber precursor fiber bundles that have been spread in sheet form into a flameproofing furnace, flameproofing the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundles introduced into the flameproofing furnace in a temperature range of 200° C. to 300° C., introducing the flameproofed fiber bundles obtained from the flameproofing treatment into a carbonization furnace, and carbonizing the flameproofed fiber bundles introduced into the carbonization furnace in a temperature range of 300° C. to 2500° C. The flameproofing furnace includes a heat-treatment chamber and a sealing chamber adjacent thereto and discharges air from the sealing chamber to outside of the flameproofing furnace. The space velocity (SV) (1/h) of hot air blown from the heat-treatment chamber into the sealing chamber satisfies relationship: 80?SV?400.

Abstract: Provided is a carbonization furnace in which disordering of fiber bundles does not occur and there is no lack of uniformity throughout the entire furnace interior, even in the supply of heated inert gas. A carbonization furnace for manufacturing carbon fiber bundles, the furnace being provided with a heat treatment chamber, an inlet sealed chamber and an outlet sealed chamber, a gas spray nozzle, and a conveyance path, wherein: the gas spray nozzle (4) has a double tube structure obtained from a hollow cylindrical inner tube (8) and a hollow cylindrical outer tube (7), and is disposed in a direction that is horizontal and is orthogonal to the fiber bundle conveyance direction; in the outer tube, multiple gas-spraying holes (7a) are disposed across the width of the conveyance path in the longitudinal direction of the outer tube, and the area of the gas-spraying holes of the outer tube is 0.

Abstract: A carbon fiber manufacturing method with which high quality carbon fibers can be obtained. The carbon fiber manufacturing method includes introducing carbon fiber precursor fiber bundles that have been spread in sheet form into a flameproofing furnace, flameproofing the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundles introduced into the flameproofing furnace in a temperature range of 200° C. to 300° C., introducing the flameproofed fiber bundles obtained from the flameproofing treatment into a carbonization furnace, and carbonizing the flameproofed fiber bundles introduced into the carbonization furnace in a temperature range of 300° C. to 2500° C. The flameproofing furnace includes a heat-treatment chamber and a sealing chamber adjacent thereto and discharges air from the sealing chamber to outside of the flameproofing furnace. The space velocity (SV) (1/h) of hot air blown from the heat-treatment chamber into the sealing chamber satisfies relationship: 80?SV?400.

Abstract: Provided is a carbonization furnace in which disordering of fiber bundles does not occur and there is no lack of uniformity throughout the entire furnace interior, even in the supply of heated inert gas. A carbonization furnace for manufacturing carbon fiber bundles, the furnace being provided with a heat treatment chamber, an inlet sealed chamber and an outlet sealed chamber, a gas spray nozzle, and a conveyance path, wherein: the gas spray nozzle (4) has a double tube structure obtained from a hollow cylindrical inner tube (8) and a hollow cylindrical outer tube (7), and is disposed in a direction that is horizontal and is orthogonal to the fiber bundle conveyance direction; in the outer tube, multiple gas-spraying holes (7a) are disposed across the width of the conveyance path in the longitudinal direction of the outer tube, and the area of the gas-spraying holes of the outer tube is 0.

Abstract: Provided is a carbon fiber bundle for obtaining a fiber-reinforced resin having high mechanical characteristics. A carbon fiber bundle formed of single carbon fibers, each of which has no uneven surface structure of 0.6 ?m or more in length extending in the longitudinal direction of the single fiber; which has an uneven structure having a difference in height (Rp?v) of 5 to 25 nm between the highest portion and the lowest portion of the surface of the single fiber and having an average roughness Ra of 2 to 6 nm; and which has a ratio of the major axis to the minor axis (major axis/minor axis) of a cross-section of the single fiber of 1.00 to 1.01, wherein a mass of the single fiber per unit length falls within the range of 0.030 to 0.042 mg/m; a strand strength is 5900 MPa or more; a strand elastic modulus measured by the ASTM method is 250 to 380 GPa; and a knot tenacity is 900 N/mm2 or more.

Abstract: Provided is a carbon fiber bundle for obtaining a fiber-reinforced plastic having high mechanical characteristics. An acrylonitrile swollen fiber for a carbon fiber having openings of 10 nm or more in width in the circumference direction of the swollen fiber at a ratio in the range of 0.3 openings/?m2 or more and 2 openings/?m2 or less on the surface of the swollen fiber, and the swollen fiber is not treated with a finishing oil agent. A precursor fiber obtained by treating the swollen fiber with a silicone-based finishing oil agent has a silicon content of 1700 ppm or more and 5000 ppm or less, and the silicon content is 50 ppm or more and 300 ppm or less after the finishing oil agent is washed away with methyl ethyl ketone by using a Soxhlet extraction apparatus for 8 hours. The fiber is preferably an acrylonitrile copolymer containing acrylonitrile in an amount of 96.0 mass % or more and 99.7 mass % or less and an unsaturated hydrocarbon having at least one carboxyl group or ester group in an amount of 0.