A scientific and technological achievement appraisal concerning carbon fiber precursor equipment quietly landed in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, yet it has stirred considerable waves across the industrial chain. The 5,000-ton DMSO dry-jet wet-spinning high-performance PAN-based precursor complete equipment and process, developed by Jinggong Technology together with Huachuang Carbon Fiber, Donghua University, and Zhejiang University of Technology over two years, was recognized as reaching an internationally advanced level. Notably, two indicators—steam consumption for DMSO recovery and temperature uniformity in the polymerization reactor—have achieved a globally leading position. This is not just a technological milestone for a single company; it signifies that domestic equipment for carbon fiber precursor production has carved out a critical gap in core areas.
Background
Precursor is to carbon fiber what grey fabric is to textiles—its quality directly determines final performance. For a long time, the complete equipment and process for precursor preparation have been a key bottleneck restricting China's self-supply in high-end carbon fiber, with the high-end market dominated by a few overseas players. The project that passed the appraisal focuses on four core dimensions: precise temperature control in large-capacity polymerization reactors, multi-stage uniform pressure distribution for high-viscosity polymer solutions, efficient recovery of DMSO solvent, and full-process intelligent management. These technical points are interlinked, collectively pointing toward a more stable, more economical, and more controllable precursor production line.
From the data, the 60 m³ reactor achieves temperature uniformity of ±0.4°C under effective loading conditions, indicating that engineering scale-up challenges such as heat transfer lag and local mixing deficiencies in high-viscosity systems have been effectively resolved. End pressure deviation of ±1% and spinneret outlet pressure fluctuation of 1‰ ensure uniformity during spinning. A process speed of 280 m/min and a single-line capacity of 5,000 tons per year provide a realistic foundation for large-scale production. These parameters, when compared in the global precursor equipment coordinate system, already demonstrate the capability to compete on equal footing.
Industrial Impact
The direct value of the equipment breakthrough lies in cost and supply security. A DMSO recovery rate of no less than 99.5% and steam consumption for recovery no higher than 2.2 t/t mean that solvent circulation efficiency is greatly improved, and unit production costs are expected to decrease significantly. For carbon fiber enterprises, precursor costs account for a substantial share of total costs. The reduction in depreciation and maintenance costs brought by localized equipment will gradually transmit to terminal carbon fiber prices, thereby expanding market space for downstream applications.
A deeper impact lies in industrial security. In the past, high-end precursor equipment relied on imports, which not only involved long procurement cycles and high maintenance costs but also posed risks of technology blockades. The complete equipment that passed the appraisal achieves full-process autonomy from polymerization, spinning, to solvent recovery, meaning domestic carbon fiber enterprises can expand production as needed without being constrained by external supply. For the textile equipment industrial belt in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, this achievement will also drive upgrades in the surrounding supporting supply chain, creating new growth points.
Of course, there is still a distance from equipment appraisal to large-scale commercial application. Precursor production demands extremely high process stability. Whether excellent indicators under laboratory or pilot conditions can be maintained in continuous industrial operation still needs time to verify. But at least, domestic equipment has crossed the most difficult threshold, and subsequent iterative optimization will be more confident.