China's synthetic fiber output now accounts for over 70% of global production, a figure that underscores a strategic shift from volume to value. Behind this shift are breakthroughs not just in scale but in molecular-level engineering and extreme-environment applications. In 2026, the team led by Zhu Meifang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor at Donghua University, made notable advances in lunar soil spinning and hydrogel optical fibers, charting new technical frontiers for the textile industry.
From daily apparel to deep space: dual-track breakthroughs
Zhu's four-decade research journey traces two clear trajectories: enhancing quality in civilian applications and achieving high-end breakthroughs in strategic fields. Early work on fine-denier polypropylene fiber 'Mengtaisi' addressed basic molecular structure challenges, helping solve the public's need for durable, comfortable shirts. Later, the innovative 'organic/inorganic hybrid fiber' concept enabled different materials to merge at the nanoscale, achieving '1+1>2' multifunctionality and driving fibers toward functional, intelligent, and green development.
This concept has translated into industrial reality. Technologies have been fully industrialized at leading enterprises like Hengyi, Defulun, and Hengshen, yielding 15 functional product categories—including general fibers, smart fibers, protective materials, and high-performance carbon fibers—breaking foreign technical barriers. These products are widely used in apparel, home textiles, transportation, and safety protection, generating nearly 100 billion yuan in new industry output. This means Chinese fibers not only satisfy domestic demand but also reshape value positioning in global supply chains.
More visionary is the 'lunar soil spinning' exploration. The team independently designed a simulant lunar soil fiber-drawing system and achieved continuous melt spinning from Chang'e-5 simulant soil—a world first. This breakthrough provides key material support for future lunar base construction and validates fiber processing in extreme environments. For the textile industry, this signals that fiber application boundaries are extending from Earth to deep space, opening entirely new market segments for specialty fibers.
Industrial landing: Songjiang base and frontier synergy
Technological breakthroughs ultimately matter when they empower industry. After the Spring Festival, Shanghai's top leadership visited Donghua University's National Science Park, emphasizing acceleration of pilot testing and industrialization. Zhu's team responded swiftly, leveraging Songjiang District's 100-billion-yuan advanced materials industrial cluster to establish the Songjiang Innovation Base of the National Key Laboratory for Advanced Fiber Materials.
The base focuses on three frontier tracks—artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and extreme-environment materials—and adopts a 'list-based challenge' mechanism. To date, 47 high-quality innovation projects are undergoing concept validation and pilot scaling. This layout implies that fiber materials are deeply integrating with emerging industries like AI and biomedicine, forming a cross-disciplinary innovation ecosystem. For textile enterprises, this represents both an upgrade opportunity and a potential cooperation window—mature pilot projects may transfer to the industrial side, driving new investment and capacity optimization.
Notably, the team has built the world's first continuous production line for hydrogel optical fibers. These biocompatible, light-guiding fibers can be applied in brain science and intelligent interaction, offering new solutions for smart textiles and healthcare. For buyers, such high-value fibers enable differentiation, helping escape low-end homogenized competition.
Talent and mechanisms: the hidden infrastructure of innovation
Behind technological breakthroughs lies the support of talent cultivation and research mechanisms. Zhu has taught for over 30 years, insisting on delivering 'first lessons' and 'last lessons' to undergraduates and serving as a doctoral supervisor and class advisor for 15 years. Her 'immersive' education model promotes interdisciplinary and industry-academia integration; the Donghua New Materials Industrial College has been approved as one of the first national modern industrial colleges.
This educational model directly addresses industry pain points: the fiber materials field needs composite talents who understand both basic research and industrial transformation. The team's average age is just over 30, yet it has been selected for the Ministry of Science and Technology's key innovation team and the Ministry of Education's innovation team development plan. A young, interdisciplinary structure means faster R&D cycles and lower trial costs, enabling agile responses to market changes.
From an industry impact perspective, talent pipeline will determine whether China's fiber technology can maintain its lead. Currently, the global textile industry faces dual pressures of green transformation and intelligent upgrades. Core technologies with independent IP will become competitive barriers. Zhu's team's practice shows that laboratory results only realize value when they move to production lines—from 'bookshelf' to 'store shelf.'