Wang Hongzhen

Consumption grows at over 20% annually

Carbon fiber, with a carbon content of above 90%, has a high strength and high modulus, and hence is the best fiber material in terms of high temperature resistance. It has been widely applied to sectors like wind power blades, aviation & aerospace, sports and leisure and automotive.

Carbon fibers are classified by specification into large tow (the number of carbon fiber monofilaments larger than 24K) and small tow (equal to or smaller than 24K). They are also classified into polyacrylonitrile carbon fiber, asphalt carbon fiber and viscose carbon fiber by raw materials. According to the mechanical properties, there are general-purpose carbon fibers and high-performance ones.

As one of the most important developing directions in China’s strategic emerging industries, carbon fiber market growth has been robust recently. 

According to Zhang Shouchun, a researcher at Shanxi Coal Chemical Research Institute, the carbon fiber consumption is growing at a rate of over 20% annually. The industrial fields, especially the wind power and photovoltaic will become big users of carbon fiber. China’s carbon fiber annual demands from 2016 to 2020 are shown in Chart 1.

Chart 1 China’s carbon fiber demand, 2016-2020

The chart shows that China’s carbon fiber annual demand growth through 2017 to 2020 was respectively 19.90%, 31.90%, 21.9%, and 29.1%. The growth in 2020 was maintained even under the influence of COVID-19.

The state put forward the strategies of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality at the end of 2020, thus largely promoting the consumption of carbon fiber in new energy and equipment manufacturing sectors. Carbon fiber will prosper accordingly. 

Wind power, photovoltaic and hydrogen energy are industries with advantages in China, enjoying governments’ supports. The carbon fiber composite materials have been popular in fields such as wind power blade weight reduction, photovoltaic panel and consumables manufacturing, hydrogen energy pressure vessel and nuclear energy. The consumption of such materials will be increased through technological progress.

Domestic companies become stronger

China started its carbon fiber research in the early 1960s, and there were over 20 research institutes and enterprises in 1975. However, no large-scale production was seen until 2000. With the support of national policies and independent technological innovation, China was finally equipped with production capacities of carbon fibers of high strength, high model, high strength medium model and high strength high model in 2001, shaking off the complete dependency on imports. Chinese carbon fiber enterprises started to expand rapidly in 2007, and in 2018, the theoretical output of carbon fiber in China (including Taiwan) reached 26 800 tons. The domestic carbon fiber capacities from 2016 to 2020 are detailed in Chart 2.

Chart 2 China’s annual capacity of carbon fiber, 2016-2020

China’s major carbon fiber producers include Guangwei Compound Material (mainly T300 high-strength); Zhongjian Technology (mainly T700 high-strength); Zhongfu Shenying (high-strength, high-strength medium model and high-strength high model). They keep breaking through the production technologies of high-end carbon fibers.

On September 8, 2021, China National Building Materials launched officially their 10kt carbon fiber base in Ganhe Industrial Park, Xining Economic and Technological Development Zone, being China’s first 10kt carbon fiber production site. 

Big developing room for high performance carbon fiber

China’s carbon fiber industry, being a new industry itself, has been able to compete with its counterparts in developed countries in terms of certain technologies and products.

According to Zhang Shouchun, Shanxi Coal Chemical Research Institute is one of the earliest carbon fiber research units and the birthplace of carbon fiber technology in China, with leading research and development status in the country. In 2019, the T1000 grade ultra-high strength carbon fiber made by dry spray wet spinning route, after being tested by a third-party institution, had reached the advanced level in performances. At present, the world's high-end grades of carbon fiber are mainly produced with this process. With the increasing demand from carbon fiber users, China’s carbon fiber products will continue to develop to higher levels.