Introduction:

High-performance fibers form a crucial part of the new materials industry and are key materials for the development of China's chemical fiber industry. Their development level is critical for the national economy's growth and strategic security. After decades of development, through the concerted efforts of the government, enterprises, research institutes, and industry associations, China's high-performance fiber industry has made significant breakthroughs in key technologies, expanded downstream applications, and seen comprehensive progress in industry scale, technological advancement, and system construction. This has dramatically closed the nearly 30-year gap with developed countries, achieving breakthrough progress and noticeable achievements. Currently, China's domestic carbon fiber production capacity accounts for about 28% of the global total, aramid approximately 23%, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber about 66%. Overall, China's high-performance fiber has become the most globally expansive in product coverage and application scope, with carbon fiber, aramid, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber production scales ranking among the top three worldwide. The mainstream product technology level, output, and quality have reached the world's advanced level. The rapid development of domestic high-performance fibers has injected new vitality into China's manufacturing industry's core competitiveness, making significant contributions to the high-quality development of aerospace, national defense, wind power, civil construction, automotive lightweighting, and marine engineering.

1. Development Status of China's High-Performance Fiber

1.1 Steady Expansion of Overall Industry Scale

In 2021, China's total high-performance fiber production capacity was about 195,000 tons, with an output of about 102,000 tons. The production of carbon fiber, aramid, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, and continuous basalt fiber exceeded 10,000 tons, among which carbon fiber production was 29,000 tons, covering high-strength, intermediate-modulus, high-modulus, and high-strength high-modulus carbon fibers (equivalent to T300, T700, T800, T1000, M40, M40J, M55J grades, etc.). Products like polyphenylene sulfide fiber and polytetrafluoroethylene fiber have seen steady development, while key technologies for polyether ether ketone fiber, silicon carbide fiber, poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) fiber, and wholly aromatic polyester fiber have made new progress.

1.2 Significant Improvement in Technological Equipment Level

The high-performance fiber industry's technology has continuously improved, with notable enhancements in fiber quality, product diversification, production stability, etc.

1.2.1 Carbon Fiber

China has developed three production process systems for carbon fiber precursor using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and sodium thiocyanate (NaSCN), with dry-jet wet spinning and wet spinning technologies gradually perfected, further increasing production efficiency. Breakthroughs in core technologies have been made, industrializing T300 grade carbon fibers and subsequently achieving industrial production of T700, T800, and industrial carbon fibers above 24k, with breakthroughs in key technologies for T1000, T1100, M55J, M60J, and 48k large tow carbon fibers. Compared to Japan's Toray, China has basically covered all the carbon fiber varieties of the same series by Toray with its dimethyl sulfoxide series products.

1.2.2 Organic High-Performance Fiber

China has broken through the kiloton-level industrialization key technologies for para-aramid, realizing the domestic production of high-strength and high-modulus para-aramid products, and completed application verification of high-strength para-aramid in personal protective equipment. Differentiation technologies for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers have been further improved, breaking through the preparation technology of ultra-high-strength para-aramid (equivalent to Kevlar KM2 grade), suitable for military bulletproof helmets and others. Polyimide fiber has broken through a series of key technologies in polymer synthesis, fiber forming, post-processing, and production equipment, forming three major series: high heat resistance, heat-resistant easy-to-dye, and high-strength high-modulus, covering a wide range of specifications from ultra-fine to coarse. Polyphenylene sulfide fiber has developed finer denier products (1.1 denier), further improving the filtration precision of high-temperature filtering materials.

Currently, China has broken through the key technologies of flame-retardant high-strength liquid crystalline polyester fibers. Moreover, polytetrafluoroethylene fiber has improved its filtration accuracy and strength through morphology structure control, innovative fiber manufacturing technology, and complete production equipment, developing multilayer filter materials containing ultra-fine, catalytic, and reinforced fibers, achieving integrated treatment of industrial flue gas emissions.

1.2.3 Inorganic High-Performance Fiber

Continuous basalt fibers have seen new progress in large-scale pool kilns and multiple-bushing

 plate (24) technology, forming three major series: high-strength, high-modulus, and alkali-resistant. Additionally, bushing plate technology has significantly improved, extending bushing plate life to nearly 6 months and continuously reducing overall production costs. At the same time, preliminary applications of computer simulation technology have optimized kiln structure design and improved kiln melting technology levels, with single-loop intelligent table control technology improving the precision of temperature, bushing plate, and drawing machine controls.

Continuous silicon carbide fibers have broken through second-generation industrialization technology and completed the finalization of national key models, also conducting composite material tests in aerospace engines and nuclear power ATF accident tolerance material components.

1.2.4 High-Performance Fiber Equipment

Key components such as polyimide fiber batch polymerization reactors, spinning components, metering pumps, winders, and heat treatment equipment have all been domestically produced. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber has achieved domestication of complete equipment and gradual optimization and upgrading, with single-line capacity exceeding 300 tons/year, and breakthroughs in heat-resistant, creep-resistant ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber complete equipment design and manufacturing technology. Breakthroughs have been made in 3000-ton carbon fiber full-line equipment and design and manufacturing technology of 500mm and 1000mm wide high-temperature graphitization furnaces. Complete equipment for meta-aramid and para-aramid has been domesticated, with breakthroughs in pitch-based carbon fiber production equipment preparation technology.

1.3 Continuously Improving Product Application Capability

As domestic recognition and understanding of high-performance fibers deepen and the quality of domestic high-performance fibers continuously improves, their application level also continues to rise. Firstly, the application fields of products are gradually expanding. High-performance fibers are now widely used in aerospace, national defense, wind power, civil construction, automotive industry, rail transportation, marine engineering, optical cable communications, safety protection, environmental protection, sports and leisure, and other fields, forming stable applications in specific areas. Secondly, the product application scale is gradually expanding. All sub-sectors of the high-performance fiber market have maintained stability, with individual areas gradually expanding in scale.

In 2021, the total domestic consumption of high-performance fibers was about 149,000 tons, among which carbon fiber application totaled 62,300 tons, with domestic carbon fiber usage accounting for 46.5%, especially in wind turbine blades reaching 22,500 tons, becoming the main driving force for carbon fiber applications in China, while also meeting the needs of international wind turbine blades. Additionally, the sports and leisure sector used about 20,000 tons, carbon-carbon thermal field materials about 5,000 tons, and pressure vessels about 3,000 tons, all achieving significant growth. Aramid actual usage was about 26,000 tons, with meta-aramid maintaining stability in high-temperature filtering, flame retardant protection, electrical insulation, and honeycomb materials, while para-aramid gradually growing in optical cable communications, bulletproof materials, and the automotive industry. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber usage was about 25,000 tons, maintaining growth in rope nets, cut-resistant gloves, and civilian markets, with the glove sector still mainly exported. Protective fabrics developed using polyimide fibers have been successfully applied in forest police protective clothing.

1.4 Significant Strengthening of Leading Enterprises

After years of development and accumulation, China has cultivated a number of backbone leading enterprises in various industries, such as Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd., Weihai Guangwei Composites Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Hengshen Co., Ltd., Jilin Carbon Valley Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd., and others for carbon fiber production; Yantai Tayho Advanced Materials Co., Ltd., Sinochem International Corporation, Zhongfang Special Fiber Co., Ltd., for aramid production; Nine Dimensional Star Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing Tongyizhong New Material Technology Corporation, Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fibre Limited Liability Company for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber production; Sichuan Anfei High Polymer Material Science and Technology Co., Ltd., for polyphenylene sulfide fiber production; Jiangsu Aoshen New Materials Co., Ltd., Changchun High-tech Polyimide Materials Co., Ltd., for polyimide fiber production; Zhejiang Shijin Basalt Fiber Co., Ltd., Sichuan Aerospace Tuoxin Basalt Industrial Co., Ltd., for continuous basalt fiber production. Industrial clusters and R&D platforms for high-tech fibers and their products have formed in Jiangsu, Jilin, Shandong, and other regions.

At the same time, industry concentration has further increased, with Zhongfu Shenying, Guangwei Composites, Zhejiang Baojing, Jiangsu Hengshen, Jilin Guoxing, and other enterprises' carbon fiber production exceeding 80% of the total domestic carbon fiber output, with Hong

fa Zongheng, Jiangsu Aosheng, and other enterprises' annual carbon fiber usage nearing 10,000 tons; Tayho Advanced Material, Sinochem International, Zhongfang Special Fiber, and other enterprises' aramid production reaching 90% of the total domestic aramid output; some leading enterprises' high-performance fiber production capacity and output ranking first globally. More importantly, these leading enterprises have mastered high-performance fiber preparation or application process technologies with independent intellectual property rights through independent R&D, providing a guarantee for the rapid development of China's high-performance fiber industry. Zhongfu Shenying's "Dry-Jet Wet Spinning Kiloton-Level High-Strength/Century-Level Intermediate-Modulus Carbon Fiber Industrialization Key Technology and Application" won the National Science and Technology Progress First Prize, Guangwei Composites independently developed wet-process T700-level carbon fiber applied in the aerospace field, and its subsidiary Weihai Expansion Fiber Co., Ltd. won the National Technology Invention Second Prize (Special Project). Jiangsu Hengshen has constructed a complete industrial chain from carbon fiber precursor, carbon fiber, fabric, prepreg, resin, composite materials, to structural parts. Additionally, Tayho Advanced Material, Guangwei Composites, Zhongjian Technology Co., Ltd., Jilin Carbon Valley have been listed on the A-share market, Beijing Tongyizhong successfully listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board, and Zhongfu Shenying also listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board, successfully integrating the high-performance fiber industry with the capital market.

1.5 Continuous Role of Innovation Platforms

China's high-performance fiber field has initially formed a scientific and technological innovation platform system covering basic research, key technology R&D, and application demonstration. China now has the National Carbon Fiber Engineering Technology Research Center, Carbon Fiber Preparation and Engineering National Engineering Laboratory, National Aramid Engineering Technology Research Center, and other R&D platforms, as well as Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Shanxi Institute of Coal Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong University, Donghua University, and other research institutions, further deepening industry-academia-research-use cooperation, actively conducting core technology breakthroughs, and increasing the effective supply of technological innovation. Significant achievements have been made in basic theoretical research, key technology R&D, and application demonstration and promotion of high-performance fibers, playing an important role in improving fiber quality, developing high-end products, and technology upgrades. In 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved the establishment of the National Advanced Functional Fiber Manufacturing Industry Innovation Center. After years of construction and operation, the Innovation Center has further promoted the transformation of scientific and technological achievements in the chemical fiber industry, especially promoting the upgrade and sustainable development of China's high-performance fiber industry.

1.6 Increasingly Improved Industrial Policy Environment

To accelerate the breakthrough of technological bottlenecks in the high-performance fiber industry, alleviate dependence on foreign imports, and promote high-quality industrial development, since the new century, the state has introduced a series of policies supporting industrial development, effectively promoting the development of the high-performance fiber industry. During the "13th Five-Year Plan" period alone, policies such as the "13th Five-Year National Science and Technology Innovation Plan," "13th Five-Year National Strategic Emerging Industries Development Plan," "New Material Industry Development Guide," "Industrial Strong Foundation Project Implementation Guide (2016-2020)," "13th Five-Year Materials Field Science and Technology Innovation Special Plan," etc., were introduced, further clarifying the goals and tasks of key new material industry development, and specifying to specific materials, products, technical indicators, etc., laying the foundation for the continuous development of high-performance fiber materials. High-performance fiber's scientific and technological research, industrialization, and key field application demonstrations have been included in enhancing manufacturing core competitiveness, technological transformation, industrial strong foundation, national key R&D plans, etc., with the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and the Equipment Development Department of the Military Commission also providing special funds for high-performance fibers for national defense and military use, playing an important role in enhancing basic research capabilities, improving industrialization development levels, and promoting high-performance fiber application demonstrations and market promotion.

1.7 Significant Economic and Social Benefits

The rapid development of China's high-performance fiber industry has strongly promoted the rapid improvement of technical levels in many downstream fields, achieving significant economic and social benefits. This is highlighted in: firstly, the domestication of high-performance fibers has broken the long-term technological blockade and market monopoly by Japan, the United States, and other developed countries against China, injecting new vitality into the core competitiveness of China's manufacturing industry, and making significant contributions to the high-quality development of aerospace, national defense, wind power, civil construction, automotive lightweighting, marine engineering, environmental protection, and other fields. Data shows that for every 100kg reduction in automobile body weight, CO2 emissions are reduced by approximately 

5g/km; for every 20% reduction in aircraft body weight, annual CO2 emissions are reduced by approximately 140 tons. Under the policy background of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, carbon fiber has been applied in photovoltaic, wind power, hydrogen energy, and other green clean energy fields, gradually becoming one of the important ways to achieve the "dual carbon" strategic goal. Secondly, as the market recognition of domestic high-performance fibers continues to improve, not only have the economic benefits of major enterprises continuously improved, gradually entering a virtuous development phase, but the export volume of high-performance fibers and their products has also continuously increased, with the international market competitiveness continuously strengthening. Taking the carbon fiber industry as an example, in 2012, Weihai Guangwei Composite Material Co., Ltd. first achieved profitability among carbon fiber enterprises, and in 2016, Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd. first achieved profitability in the civilian field among carbon fiber enterprises. In 2020-2021, against the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, China's carbon fiber industry went against the trend, maintaining strong production and sales, continuous performance growth, and achieving profitability across the entire industry for two consecutive years.

Development Prospects:

High-performance fibers are indispensable key basic materials for implementing the strategy of becoming a manufacturing powerhouse and promoting high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. With the continuous advancement of domestic high-performance fiber production and application technologies, China's high-performance fibers are expected to embrace new development opportunities, fully enter the international advanced ranks, and play an increasingly important role in meeting the needs of national economic construction. By 2025, domestic high-performance fiber R&D and production will reach the international advanced level, establishing an innovation system centered on enterprises; based on the technical characteristics of high-performance fiber preparation, rationally planning regional development and industrial chain development models, achieving diversification, series, scale, and independent controllability of high-performance fiber and its composite materials process technology, equipment, and key equipment, comprehensively enhancing the safety of the industrial chain; further breaking through high-performance, low-cost, stable mass preparation technology and service performance of domestic high-performance fibers, forming an industry cluster and R&D platform with "design-manufacture-evaluation-assessment verification" complete core competitiveness, significantly enhancing the market application scale and level of high-performance fibers and their composite materials, achieving self-sufficiency in the defense field, and meeting the application needs of major national economic fields.