CARBON FIBER AGGLOMERATES AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF SAME

The present invention provides a method of producing a carbon fiber aggregate, including bringing a supported catalyst into contact with a carbon-containing compound in a heated zone, the supported catalyst being prepared by heat-treating aluminum hydroxide which has a BET specific surface area of 1 m 2 /g or less and a cumulative 50% volume particle diameter of 10 to 300 µm until the BET specific surface area reaches to 50 to 200 m 2 /g, thereby yielding a support, and then supporting a metal catalyst or a catalytic metal precursor on the support. Also provided is a carbon fiber aggregate produced by the method, in which the carbon fiber aggregate includes a cocoon-shaped aggregate clump having a major/minor diameter ratio of 5 or more formed by aggregating non-linear primary carbon fibers, each having a diameter of 5 to 100 nm, having an aspect ratio of 5 to 1000, and including graphitic layers which extend approximately parallel to a fiber axis, to form secondary aggregate fibers each having a diameter of 1 µm or more, having a length of 5 µm or more, and being non-linear, and aggregating the secondary aggregate fibers. Also provided is a resin composite material including the carbon fiber aggregate. According to the present invention, the carbon fiber aggregate can be provided that is useful as a filler material which can impart electrical conductivity to a resin composite material even when being added in a small amount.