13th International Specialist Conference in Düsseldorf
Professor Kaneyoski Ashida was born on 6 March 1919 in Matsuzaka City, Mie prefecture. In 1943 he graduated in chemistry at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, where he also received his doctorate in 1957. After working as a research chemist in the chemical laboratories of the Navy from 1943 to 1945, he headed the Central Research Laboratory of Hodogaya Chemical Ind. Ltd. until 1957, when he became Director of the Chemical Research Laboratories of Nisshin Spinning Co. Ltd. where novel methods for the production of polyurethane foams were developed independently of Bayer’s basic patents. The first flame-retardant PUR foams were produced here in 1966. After a visiting professorship at the Polymer Institute of the University of Detroit in 1969, he became director of the polyurethane division and central research laboratories at Mitsubishi Chemical Ind. He was also appointed a member of the management board of the Kasei Upjohn Company, Tokyo. Extensive research work was carried out in the entire field of polyurethane polymers. At the end of 1981, he was appointed research professor and laboratory manager at the Polymer Institute of the University of Detroit. Ashida is a member of several national and international committees and institutes, mainly in the field of foam plastics. He holds numerous patents in this field and has published a considerable number of scientific papers and books.
His pioneering work consisted in the first introduction of polyisocyanurate foams into the Japanese and U.S.-foam industries and his many contributions to the field of polyurethane and other isocyanate-based foams.