The domestic production of high-performance carbon fiber is entering a new magnitude. In July 2026, a joint project by Zhongji Innolight, Donghua University, and Harbin Institute of Technology passed the appraisal of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, achieving an international leadership level in wet-process high-performance carbon fiber technology. The project's carbon fiber achieved a tensile strength of 6600 MPa and a tensile modulus of 335 GPa, placing it in the global first tier. For the aerospace and aviation sectors that have long relied on imported high-end carbon fiber, this means the technical foundation for domestic substitution has been solidified.
Technical Bottleneck Breakthrough
Wet spinning is a mainstream carbon fiber production process, but traditional methods often introduce structural defects when speed is increased, especially skin-core structures and uneven crystal grains, directly limiting mechanical properties. The core innovation of this project lies in precisely controlling PAN precursor crystal grain size and suppressing skin-core structures through a balance control technique for nano-defects and micro-crystal size. This technical route ensures uniform fiber quality and enhanced strength without sacrificing production efficiency.
Another noteworthy breakthrough is in equipment design. The project innovatively designed a large-channel external-heat pre-oxidation furnace and a multi-zone integrated carbonization furnace, achieving long-term stable operation and significantly reducing total energy consumption. For energy-intensive processes like carbon fiber production, lower energy consumption directly reduces unit costs, which is crucial for large-scale commercialization. Public data shows the project has established a stable annual production capacity of 5,000 tons, enough to support a complete aerospace-grade carbon fiber supply chain.
Full-Chain Self-Reliance
The project has obtained 25 invention patents, 30 utility model patents, and contributed to one national standard. From precursor preparation to pre-oxidation, carbonization, and key equipment design, the entire technical system is now self-controllable. For the textile industry, carbon fiber has long been considered a pinnacle of "high-end textiles," but domestic companies have mostly focused on low-end capacity expansion, while products meeting aerospace standards were largely imported. This project's industrialization means China can now produce high-strength, high-modulus carbon fiber not just adequately, but reliably and efficiently.
From a downstream perspective, the lightweight and high-strength properties of carbon fiber composites are driving the transformation of aerospace components such as structural parts, satellite shells, and missile compartments toward composites. A domestic supply of carbon fiber will directly reduce material costs in these applications and shorten supply chain response times. For defense equipment and commercial aviation, such self-reliant supply is not just a cost issue but a strategic security matter.
Competitive Landscape and Market Outlook
Currently, the global high-performance carbon fiber market is dominated by Toray and Hexcel, especially in the ultra-high-strength, high-modulus segment (strength >6000 MPa, modulus >300 GPa), where domestic products have long been absent. This project's appraisal means domestic companies now have the technical capability to compete directly with international giants in this niche. However, bridging the gap from lab to stable bulk supply requires overcoming challenges in process consistency, batch reliability, and customer certification. While 5,000 tons of annual capacity is substantial, large-scale replacement of imports in aviation will require long-term validation by OEMs.
For other carbon fiber producers in the textile industry, the technical route demonstrated in this project—accelerating wet spinning without sacrificing performance—offers strong replicability. If this technology can be shared or licensed across the industry, it could elevate the entire domestic carbon fiber sector. Conversely, if barriers remain high, it may lead to a monopoly by a few players in the high-end market.