Research and development background and significance: Carbon fiber is a high-strength new fiber material with a carbon content of over 95%. Due to its excellent properties such as high strength, lightweight, and corrosion resistance, it is known as the “black gold” and is an ideal material for equipment lightweight applications. Developing carbon fiber can help promote the upgrading of related industries and improve product performance, such as reducing aircraft weight and enhancing fuel efficiency in the aerospace field; In the field of automobiles, it is possible to achieve lightweighting and reduce energy consumption.

Research and development process: China’s carbon fiber research and development started relatively late and once relied on imports, facing a bottleneck problem. In 2005, the CCF-1 grade carbon fiber developed by Guangwei Group passed the national “863 Program” carbon fiber special acceptance, marking China’s first industrial carbon fiber. In 2011, the 5000 ton carbon fiber precursor project of Jilin Chemical Fiber Group was completed and put into operation, pioneering the large-scale production of carbon fiber precursor in China. Since then, domestic enterprises have continuously overcome technical difficulties, such as Jilin Chemical Fiber Group, which has successively developed 25K, 35K, 48K, 50K and other large fiber bundles, and improved the carbon fiber product system. In 2022, the first domestic production line for the 48K large fiber bundle carbon fiber project of Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical was put into operation and qualified products were produced. The product performance was comparable to similar products outside the United States, and the quality reached the international advanced level of 5.

主要技術の研究開発 5：

生糸製造技術：生糸の品質は炭素繊維の性能を決定する重要な要因の一つである。研究開発では、高品質のポリアクリロニトリル（PAN）前駆体繊維を得るために、不安定な粘度、高い気泡不純物、高い紡糸繊度、低い強度、過剰な繊維などの問題に対処する必要がある。

炭化技術：生糸は酸化、低温炭化、高温炭化などの複数の工程を経る。不活性ガスの保護下で、熱分解と熱収縮重合を受け、炭素繊維の無秩序層グラファイト構造が形成され、最終的に製品中の炭素含有量は90%以上となる。温度場の制御は、このプロセスにおける重要な技術である。

研究開発成果の活用 1：

In the field of wind power, carbon fiber extruded plates can be used for the main beams of wind turbine blades, making them lighter and more efficient. Jilin Chemical Fiber Group’s carbon fiber extruded plates for wind turbine blade main beams have a market share of over 90% in the domestic wind power market.

スポーツ用品の分野では、バドミントンラケット、スキー、アイスホッケーのスティックなどに加工できる。吉林化繊グループが生産した関連スポーツ用品は市場に投入されている。

In the field of construction machinery, Zoomlion has independently developed the “Carbon Fiber Composite High Strength Metal Hybrid Structure Technology”. The domestically produced carbon fiber arm pump truck using this technology has been unveiled, realizing the full chain autonomy of carbon fiber composite materials from raw materials to manufacturing processes, improving equipment operation capabilities, and reducing production costs.

今後の研究開発の方向性一方では、炭素繊維の強度、弾性率などの性能向上に引き続き注力し、航空宇宙などのハイエンド分野でのより高い材料要求に応えていく。他方では、生産コストの削減、工程の最適化による生産効率の向上、設備の改善などに注力し、炭素繊維の適用範囲を拡大し、より多くの民間分野での大規模な適用を推進していく。