The earliest known use of tantalum in Japan (1935) was as a nozzle (spinneret) for the production of synthetic fiber by three different companies. Mitsubishi Kogyo in Osaka was producing tantalum metal up through the war years when the equipment wad destroyed. In 1958, Showa-Denko and Komatsu-Seisakusho began the production of tantalum metal through the support of a grant from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). The 1960s saw the involvement of twelve companies in the tantalum industry, which included the development of powder (6), oxide (3), carbide (2), and metallurgical products (5) with individual companies participating in more than one product area. The involvement of the MITI non-ferrous metal division of the government provided a spark for the aggressive development of the industry. In 1960, the actual sales demand was only 4.4 tons with a prediction that it would grow to 32 tons in 1964. Actual ales in 1964 of 30 tons resulted in complaints of poor forecasting and concerns regarding excess capacity. Business conditions in Japan were declining and some of these early companies withdrew from the tantalum business. Tokyo Denki discontinued tantalum powder manufacturing in 1966 and Shinetsu Chemical terminated operations in 1976.
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