A key technological breakthrough is reshaping the competitive landscape of China's high-performance carbon fiber industry. The 'Key Technologies and Industrialization of Wet High-Performance Carbon Fiber Preparation' project, jointly completed by Zhongjiantec, Donghua University, Harbin Institute of Technology, and two other institutions, has recently passed the scientific achievement appraisal organized by the China National Textile and Apparel Council, with the overall technology judged as internationally leading. This is not merely a laboratory improvement but a systematic advancement across the entire chain from precursor preparation to equipment design.
Breaking the Technical Bottleneck
Wet spinning holds an irreplaceable position in the aerospace high-end carbon fiber field, but traditional processes are prone to internal defects when speed increases, long restricting the large-scale production of ultra-high-performance fibers. The project team created a complete technical system: by overcoming controllable synthesis technology for narrow molecular weight distribution, they established rapid solidification and dual diffusion regulation mechanisms, achieving precise control of precursor grain size. On this basis, the team further achieved balanced control of nanoscale defects and microcrystalline size, and developed a rapid homogeneous pre-oxidation carbonization process, effectively suppressing the formation of a skin-core structure. The resulting carbon fiber has a tensile strength of 6600 MPa and a tensile modulus of 335 GPa, both core performance indicators at the top of the industry.
From Lab to Production Line
More noteworthy is that this technical system is not confined to the laboratory. The project has formed a stable annual production capacity of 5000 tons of wet high-performance carbon fiber, with products achieving large-scale application in core fields such as aviation and aerospace. This marks a substantial step forward in China's independent supply capability of high-performance carbon fiber. Additionally, the team invented multi-stage electrochemical oxidation coupling and gradient interface technology, and innovatively designed a large-channel external heating pre-oxidation furnace and a multi-temperature zone integrated carbonization furnace, achieving long-term stable operation while significantly reducing total energy consumption. These equipment-level innovations directly reduce dependence on external high-end equipment and have strategic significance for industrial chain security. The project has obtained 25 authorized invention patents and 30 utility model patents, and participated in the formulation of one national standard, forming a complete independent intellectual property system from core processes to key equipment.
Deep Impact on the Industrial Chain
This breakthrough has multi-dimensional impacts on the textile and composite materials industry. First, for downstream users in aerospace and high-end equipment, the stable supply of domestic high-performance carbon fiber will significantly reduce procurement costs and shorten supply chain response times. High-modulus, high-strength fibers previously reliant on imports now have reliable domestic alternatives. Second, for carbon fiber manufacturers, this technical system provides a reproducible path to scale, especially the cost advantage of the wet process, which may accelerate the penetration of high-end carbon fiber into civil fields such as wind turbine blades, pressure vessels, and sports equipment. However, technological leadership does not automatically translate to market leadership; how to efficiently digest the 5000-ton capacity and continuously reduce costs remains a real challenge for enterprises.