A T1000 carbon fiber production line was put into operation in Datong, Shanxi province on Sunday, in what has been hailed as a critical breakthrough in China's scaled mass production of high-performance carbon fiber. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Industry chiefs have said a T1000 carbon fiber production line which began operating in Datong, Shanxi province on Sunday represents a major breakthrough in China's scaled mass production of high-performance carbon fiber, a product which has been hailed as the "king of new materials".

Construction on the 200-ton-per-year high-performance carbon fiber demonstration production line for 12K small tow T1000 carbon fiber began in June 2024.

It was the first phase of a high-performance carbon fiber project led by Shanxi Huayang Carbon Material Technology, a corporation co-established by Huayang New Material Technology Group, Datong city government and the Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Fang Yitian, director of the Institute of Coal Chemistry, said: "The project breaks foreign technological monopolies and ensures the security and resilience of the national supply chain for critical materials."

High-performance carbon fiber has been one of the primary development directions in China's strategic emerging industries, which serves as the lifeblood and forerunner for the development of high-tech, cutting-edge defense technologies, and carries potential for the transformation of traditional industries worldwide.

The T1000 carbon fiber has a single filament diameter of 6 to 7 micrometers, which is less than 1/10 of a human hair, yet its tensile strength exceeds 6400 MPa. While its density is 1/4 of steel, its strength is more than 5 times that of steel.

For instance, a 1-meter-long strand of T1000 carbon fiber produced by Huayang weighs only 0.5 grams, but can support a load of 200 kilograms. It is also resistant to high temperatures and corrosion, remaining chemically inert in acidic and alkaline environments, with excellent thermal and electrical conductivity.

A T1000 carbon fiber production line was put into operation in Datong, Shanxi province on Sunday, in what has been hailed as a critical breakthrough in China's scaled mass production of high-performance carbon fiber. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

These core advantages make it widely applicable in national defense, aerospace, rail transportation and the low-altitude economy. Experts say it can be used extensively in wind turbine blades and sports equipment.

"China's high-end carbon fiber has achieved comprehensive domestic supply security, and we have also attained self-reliance in carbon fiber technological innovation," said Lyu Chunxiang, the academic head of the project, who is also a researcher at the Institute of Coal Chemistry.

In 2008, Lyu and his team cracked the tough nut of aerospace-grade T300 carbon fiber production, making China the third country in the world, following Japan and the United States, to possess aerospace-grade carbon fiber.

"During the Beijing Winter Olympics, the bobsleds and helmets used by Chinese athletes were made from the T800 carbon fiber material we developed," Lyu said.

A T1000 carbon fiber production line was put into operation in Datong, Shanxi province on Sunday, in what has been hailed as a critical breakthrough in China's scaled mass production of high-performance carbon fiber. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"The development process was not smooth sailing... looking back to 2003, carbon fiber technology and the market were monopolized by foreign companies."

"Today, Shanxi has become a carbon fiber supply base that is usable, reliable and indispensable for high-end applications in China," he added.

"We will strengthen market awareness, adhere to the integrated advancement of technological innovation and industrial innovation, and deepen our focus on T1000 carbon fiber to produce competitive, market-valuable high-tech products," said Wang Dali, general manager of Huayang New Material Technology Group.

Liu Junyi, mayor of Datong, said: "Huayang's high-performance carbon fiber project not only marks a milestone but also a new breakthrough in the high-quality development of Datong's new material industry."

"This will drive the accelerated development of related industries in Datong, such as high-end equipment manufacturing and new energy storage, and also attract numerous upstream and downstream supporting enterprises to gather in the city at a faster pace," Liu added.