Competition in the carbon fiber industry is largely a contest of precursor equipment. In mid-August, a scientific achievement involving a 5,000-ton PAN-based precursor complete equipment and process passed appraisal in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, with overall technology reaching international advanced level and two indicators—DMSO recovery steam consumption and polymerization kettle temperature uniformity—recognized as world-leading. This marks a substantive breakthrough in the precursor equipment segment that has long constrained China's high-end carbon fiber self-sufficiency.
Background
Precursor is the core of carbon fiber performance, and its preparation equipment and process have long restricted independent supply and industrial security in China's high-end carbon fiber field. The appraised project, '5,000-ton DMSO dry-jet wet-spinning high-performance PAN-based precursor complete equipment and process,' was jointly developed by Jinggong Technology, Zhejiang Huachuang Carbon Fiber Technology Co., Ltd. (operator of the provincial manufacturing innovation center), Donghua University, and Zhejiang University of Technology, after two years of concentrated research.
From a technical perspective, the project solved engineering scale-up challenges such as heat transfer lag and local mixing deficiencies in high-viscosity polymerization systems, achieving temperature uniformity of ±0.4°C in the reactor. It developed a manifold-branch-spinneret multi-stage symmetrical pressure distribution technology, maintaining high-viscosity PAN dope end pressure deviation at ±1% under 60°C and about 1.6 MPa, with spinneret outlet pressure fluctuation controlled at 1‰. A low-temperature coagulation bath stability control system was built, stabilizing temperature at 5°C±0.2°C and liquid level at 3mm±0.1mm. The process speed reaches 280 m/min, with an annual precursor capacity of 5,000 tons.
Industry Impact
What does this breakthrough in precursor equipment mean for the carbon fiber value chain? Directly, it affects precursor quality consistency and production costs. For example, the project achieves DMSO recovery rate of no less than 99.5%, steam consumption no higher than 2.2 t/t, recovered DMSO purity of 99.88%, and residual solvent in wastewater below 100 ppm. Solvent costs account for a significant share of precursor production, so improved recovery efficiency will directly lower per-ton costs, offering downstream carbon fiber producers more competitive raw material supply.
More profoundly, this achievement will reshape the supply pattern in China's high-end carbon fiber segment. Previously, high-performance precursor equipment was largely imported, with long lead times, high maintenance costs, and core technology controlled by foreign suppliers. Now, domestic equipment has reached world-leading levels in key indicators, providing domestic carbon fiber producers with an alternative, helping reduce dependence on imported equipment and enhancing the resilience and security of the industrial chain.
For equipment manufacturers, this is a clear signal: the carbon fiber precursor equipment market is shifting from 'having it' to 'having it good.' As domestic carbon fiber capacity continues to expand, demand for high-efficiency, low-energy, and intelligent equipment will grow rapidly. The appraised 5,000-ton line, with its scale effect, is likely to become a preferred option for new capacity projects.
It is also noteworthy that the project built an MOM intelligent production management system and a central control visualization platform, making large-scale precursor production visible, traceable, manageable, and energy-controllable. This indicates that precursor production is moving from experience-driven to data-driven, laying a foundation for standardization and intelligence in future carbon fiber precursor manufacturing.