China breaks foreign tech monopoly, mass-produces high-end carbon fiber

A T1000 carbon fiber production line was launched in Datong, Shanxi province, on Sunday, marking a breakthrough in the scaled mass production of China's high-performance carbon fiber, often called the "king of new materials".

The 200-metric-ton-per-year demonstration line, which achieves domestic mass production of 12K small-tow T1000 carbon fiber, began construction in June 2024.

It represents the first phase of a high-performance carbon fiber project led by Shanxi Huayang Carbon Material Technology, a corporation jointly established by Huayang New Material Technology Group, the Datong city government and the Institute of Coal Chemistry under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"The project breaks foreign technological monopolies and ensures the security and resilience of the national supply chain for critical materials," said Fang Yitian, director of the institute.

High-performance carbon fiber is a key development direction for China's strategic emerging industries and plays a vital role in high-tech development, cutting-edge defense technologies and the upgrading of traditional industries worldwide.

The T1000 carbon fiber produced by the project has a single filament diameter of only 6 to 7 micrometers — less than one-tenth the width of a human hair — but with a tensile strength exceeding 6,400 MPa. Its density is only one-quarter that of steel, yet it is more than five times as strong.

A 1-meter-long strand weighs just 0.5 grams but can carry a load of 200 kilograms. It is resistant to high temperatures and corrosion, remains chemically inert in acidic and alkaline environments and has excellent thermal and electrical conductivity.

These advantages make the material widely useful in national defense, aerospace, rail transportation and the fast-growing low-altitude economy. It is also used in wind turbine blades and sports equipment, according to experts.

"China's high-end carbon fiber has achieved comprehensive domestic supply security, and we have also attained self-reliance in carbon fiber technological innovation," said Lyu Chunxiang, the project's academic head and a researcher at the institute.

Lyu and his team cracked the challenge of aerospace-grade T300 carbon fiber production in 2008, making China the third country after Japan and the United States capable of producing the material.

"During the Beijing Winter Olympics, the bobsleds and helmets used by Chinese athletes were made from the T800 carbon fiber material we developed," Lyu said.

The road was not smooth, he added, recalling that "back in 2003, carbon fiber technology and the market were monopolized by foreign companies".

"Today, Shanxi has become a carbon fiber supply base that is usable, reliable and indispensable for high-end applications in China," he said.

"We will strengthen market awareness, adhere to integrated technological and industrial innovation, and deepen our focus on T1000 carbon fiber to produce competitive, market-valuable high-tech products," said Wang Dali, general manager of Huayang New Material Technology Group.

The completion of the project is "not only a milestone but also a new breakthrough in high-quality development", said Datong Mayor Liu Junyi.

"It will drive accelerated growth of related industries in Datong, such as high-end equipment manufacturing and new energy storage, and attract more upstream and downstream enterprises to gather in the city," Liu said.

Cao Rongxiang, deputy secretary-general of the Shanxi provincial government, said: "The project has not only achieved a breakthrough in core high-performance carbon fiber technology, but also filled an industrial gap in the province.

"The provincial government will continue to prioritize the new materials sector, providing policy assistance, safeguarding enterprise growth, and promoting the formation of a full industry chain spanning R&D, production, and application."

Contact the writers at weiwangyu@chinadaily.com.cn