A national standard filling a critical gap in the carbon fiber industry has been approved. The "Method for Terminology, Classification, and Model Designation of Complete Sets of Polyacrylonitrile Fiber Production Equipment" was recently approved by the Standardization Administration of China and will take effect on February 1, 2027. This is China's first national standard for complete sets of carbon fiber precursor equipment, marking a substantial breakthrough in the standardization of a key upstream segment of the carbon fiber industry chain.
The Industrial Background for the Standard
Carbon fiber, often called "black gold," derives its performance largely from the quality of its precursor, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor fiber. The strength, uniformity, and stability of the precursor directly determine the mechanical properties of the final carbon fiber product. Meanwhile, the precision and intelligence level of the precursor production equipment directly impact mass production yield rates and production costs.
For years, the domestic precursor equipment sector lacked unified specifications. Equipment suppliers and carbon fiber producers used inconsistent terminology, classifications, and model designations. This led to high communication costs in production line design, inefficient equipment selection, and difficulties in upstream-downstream industry chain coordination. This fragmented state was a major bottleneck constraining the large-scale, high-end development of the domestic carbon fiber industry.
This newly released national standard for the first time unifies terminology, classification, and model designation rules for equipment across the entire process, from polymerization and spinning to drafting, drying, and solvent recovery. This means that in the future, when domestic carbon fiber companies procure precursor equipment, they will have a common "language" and "yardstick," significantly improving the efficiency of production line design, equipment selection, and technical communication.
From Precursor to Carbonization: A Complete Standard System Takes Shape
It is noteworthy that this is not the first time Jinggong Technology has been involved in carbon fiber equipment standards. Previously, the national standard for carbonization equipment, also led by this company, was implemented in June 2025. That standard covered the entire carbonization process, from pre-oxidation and carbonization to surface treatment.
With the approval of the precursor equipment standard, both core stages of carbon fiber production—precursor preparation and carbonization—are now covered by national standards. This means China's carbon fiber equipment now has a unified and coherent standard framework. For the industry chain, this is more than just technical standardization. It means equipment suppliers can develop products based on unified standards, and carbon fiber producers can select equipment and design production lines based on these standards, thereby reducing customization costs and shortening project construction timelines.
According to industry public information, Jinggong Technology and Huachuang Technology are leveraging the promotion of these two national standards while simultaneously advancing the application of group standards. They are also focusing on overcoming core bottlenecks in large-tow, high-performance PAN precursor and carbonization equipment. This strategy of "standards first, technology breakthroughs in parallel" is laying an institutional foundation for the self-sufficiency of the entire domestic carbon fiber industry chain.
Deep Impact on the Industry Landscape
Standardization often marks a turning point from "wild growth" to "regulated development" for an industry. For the strategic new material sector of carbon fiber, the refinement of equipment standards will bring multiple effects.
First, the competitiveness of domestic equipment will be enhanced. In the past, domestic carbon fiber companies faced a dilemma when purchasing equipment: imported equipment was expensive, while domestic equipment suffered from a lack of uniform standards. Unified national standards will help improve the versatility and interchangeability of domestic equipment, lowering the evaluation and procurement threshold for downstream users and accelerating the import substitution process.
Second, industry chain coordination efficiency will significantly improve. When equipment terminology, classification, and model designations are unified nationwide, technical coordination among design institutes, equipment manufacturers, and carbon fiber producers will become much smoother. Production line design cycles are expected to shorten, and equipment maintenance and spare parts management will become more convenient.
Third, this lays a foundation for industry data accumulation and intelligent upgrades. Standardized equipment classification and models make the collection, comparison, and analysis of production data possible. This is crucial for driving the digitalization and intelligent transformation of carbon fiber production processes.
However, it should be noted that there is still nearly a year before the standard is fully implemented. During this transition period, relevant companies need to complete preparations such as updating equipment labels, revising technical documents, and training personnel. The true value of the standard will ultimately depend on the level of execution and implementation depth within the industry.