Chinese chemical industry breaks the monopoly of ultra-strong carbon fiber production
China has developed technology for mass-producing ultra-strong carbon fiber, which could help break international monopolies on the supply of materials for the aerospace and defense industries.
Changsheng Technology Co Ltd, located in northern Hebei Province, has partnered with Shenzhen University to produce high-performance carbon fiber on a production line capable of producing 1,700 tons (1,874 tons) of this material per year. year.
Carbon fiber is an essential strategic material with excellent mechanical properties and chemical stability. It is indispensable for the aerospace, defense, transportation, new energy and marine engineering industries.
For example, carbon fiber reinforced resin (CFRP) is used as a key structural material in rockets, satellites and space stations. Warships using CFRP are very robust and capable of absorbing electromagnetic waves, as well as boasting excellent shock resistance and low magnetic field and radar signal.
China has been largely locked out of carbon fiber production due to bans imposed by the United States and Japan on manufacturing equipment exports to the country.
Despite this, China has overcome many of the hurdles to its carbon fiber industry, which has grown to account for about a third of global production by 2022.
Until the discovery by Changsheng Technology and Shenzhen University, China lacked a way to mass-produce the equivalent of high-performance T1000 carbon fiber, one of the strongest types of this material, evaluated by its ability to withstand stress.
China's production of carbon fiber was mostly limited to the T300 and T700 varieties, with high-performance T1000 carbon fiber accounting for only a fraction, according to a Changsheng Technology staff member quoted by the People's Daily.
With China in mind, Biden and Modi strike deals from space to chips and 5G
Changsheng Technology chief scientist Xu Jian noted that a meter-long bundle of T1000 carbon fiber weighs only 0.5 grams but can withstand a force of around 500 kg (1,102 lbs).
“A beam the thickness of a finger can even tow two airplanes,” said Xu, who is also a professor at Shenzhen University .
The demand for this material has increased due to the increase in hydrogen energy installations and wind energy.
High-end and high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks are often made of carbon fiber, and offshore wind turbine blades also use this lightweight and strong material.
Despite the growth in demand, industry experts have expressed concerns about overcapacity, intensifying anti-globalization trends and barriers to technology research.
“Due to China's late start, there is a clear technical gap with developed countries, especially in the field of high-end products,” said an executive of Zhongjian Technology in a June Xinhua Finance article.
Large-scale production of T1000 carbon fiber will help Chinese companies extend the industrial chain. In 2022, four Chinese carbon fiber companies ranked among the top 10 in the world in terms of production capacity.
The People's Daily reported on Monday that Changsheng Technology's production line was validated by an expert committee of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, which found that more than 95 percent of the carbon fiber produced met quality standards.
Thanks to our Telegram channel you can stay updated on the publication of new articles from Economic Scenarios.
The article China's chemical industry breaks the monopoly of ultra-strong carbon fiber production comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/industria-chimica-cinese-rompe-il-monopolio-della-produzione-della-fibra-di-carbonio-ultraresistente/ on Wed, 23 Aug 2023 10:00:26 +0000.