Carbon fiber is often called "black gold," and precursor preparation is the core of its performance. For a long time, high-end precursor equipment relied on imports, restricting the self-reliance of China's carbon fiber industry. Recently, a 5,000-tonne DMSO dry-jet wet-spun high-performance PAN-based precursor complete equipment and process developed by Jinggong Technology and its partners passed a scientific achievement appraisal. The overall technology reached international advanced levels, with key indicators such as DMSO recovery steam consumption and polymerization kettle temperature uniformity leading globally. This breakthrough is not just a corporate technical victory; it signifies a substantial step in the localization of upstream equipment in the carbon fiber industrial chain.
Technical Breakthrough: From "Usable" to "Excellent"
The project, which took two years of intensive research, was jointly completed by Jinggong Technology, Zhejiang Huachuang Carbon Fiber Technology (provincial manufacturing innovation center operator), Donghua University, and Zhejiang University of Technology. Core innovations focus on four dimensions: large-capacity polymerization kettle, precise temperature control, efficient solvent recovery, and intelligent production management. These are not isolated breakthroughs but coordinated optimization of complete equipment and processes, directly addressing the three pain points in precursor production: engineering scale-up difficulties, poor quality consistency, and high energy consumption.
Specifically, the 60m³ large-capacity high-uniformity polymerization reactor solves heat transfer lag in high-viscosity systems, achieving temperature uniformity of ±0.4°C, crucial for polymerization stability and molecular weight distribution. In the spinning stage, multi-stage symmetrical pressure distribution technology maintains high-viscosity PAN dope end pressure deviation within ±1%, spinneret outlet pressure fluctuation as low as 1‰, coagulation bath temperature stable at 5°C±0.2°C, and liquid level control accuracy of ±0.1mm. These parameters directly determine filament cross-section morphology and internal defect density. The process speed reaches 280m/min, and single-line capacity increases to 5,000 tonnes/year, significantly improving large-scale production efficiency.
Particularly noteworthy is the DMSO solvent recovery system. Recovery rate is no less than 99.5%, steam consumption no higher than 2.2t/t, purity reaches 99.88%, and residual solvent in wastewater is less than 100ppm. In carbon fiber production costs, solvent consumption and wastewater treatment account for a significant proportion; this indicator directly reduces unit manufacturing costs and environmental pressure. For carbon fiber enterprises pursuing extreme cost control, this is undoubtedly an attractive technology upgrade direction.
Industrial Impact: Supply Chain Security and Cost Restructuring
The localization of precursor equipment has deep transmission effects on the carbon fiber industry chain. Previously, domestic high-end precursor lines relied heavily on imported equipment, with long procurement cycles, high prices, and constrained after-sales service. With Jinggong's equipment passing appraisal, downstream carbon fiber enterprises now have a comparable domestic option, which will force imported equipment prices down and shorten construction cycles for new lines. For midstream enterprises planning expansion, the dual optimization of equipment procurement cost and delivery time implies a shortened project payback period.
From an industrial cluster perspective, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, as an important base for chemical fiber equipment manufacturing, will strengthen its national position in carbon fiber equipment. The participation of Donghua University and Zhejiang University of Technology demonstrates the practical effectiveness of industry-university-research collaboration in key technology breakthroughs. The successful replication of this model may drive more universities and research institutes to deeply engage in industrial-grade equipment R&D, accelerating technology transfer from lab to production line.
Furthermore, improved precursor quality will directly affect carbon fiber tensile strength and modulus, and then transmit to downstream applications such as aerospace, wind turbine blades, and hydrogen storage tanks. Taking wind turbine blades as an example, carbon fiber usage is increasing year by year, but high-end carbon fiber still partially relies on imports. The maturity of domestic precursor equipment clears obstacles for large-scale production of high-performance carbon fiber, helping reduce downstream application costs and ultimately benefiting end markets.