In the rapidly evolving field of materials science, carbon fiber has established itself as a key player in numerous high-end applications due to its exceptional performance. From cutting-edge aerospace equipment to lightweight innovations in automotive manufacturing, and performance enhancements in sports equipment, carbon fiber is ubiquitous. In recent years, China’s domestic carbon fiber industry has made significant strides, achieving remarkable accomplishments. However, compared to imported carbon fiber, there remain notable performance gaps that cannot be ignored. Today, we will delve into the differences between the two.
Carbon Fiber Performance Indicators
The performance of carbon fiber is primarily measured by several key indicators, which serve as its “identity card” and determine its suitability for different applications.
Tensile Strength:
This represents the material’s maximum load-bearing capacity under tensile force, akin to the maximum weight a strongman can lift. In the aerospace industry, for example, aircraft wings must withstand immense aerodynamic forces during high-altitude flight. High tensile strength carbon fiber ensures the wings remain intact under complex loading conditions, thereby safeguarding flight safety. For instance, in the manufacturing of high-performance fighter jet wings, extremely stringent requirements are placed on carbon fiber tensile strength.
Tensile modulus:
This reflects the material’s stiffness, similar to measuring the softness or hardness of a spring. In automotive manufacturing, a higher tensile modulus can make the vehicle structure more robust, enhancing the vehicle’s handling performance and collision safety. When a vehicle turns at high speeds, carbon fiber body components with high tensile modulus can reduce deformation and maintain vehicle stability.
Density:
Density directly affects the lightweight nature of a product, which is crucial in fields that pursue extreme energy efficiency and speed. In the field of new energy vehicles, reducing the weight of the car body can effectively increase the driving range. Using low-density carbon fiber materials to manufacture the car body can reduce the weight of the car body without affecting vehicle performance, thereby reducing energy consumption.
Elongation at break:
This indicates the material’s ability to deform before breaking, akin to the extent to which a rubber band can be stretched.
In the manufacturing of sports equipment such as tennis rackets, an appropriate elongation at break allows the racket to undergo elastic deformation during ball impact, thereby increasing the force and feel of the shot. These metrics are interrelated yet independent, playing varying degrees of importance in different application scenarios. Together, they determine the performance of carbon fiber in practical use.
Comparison of Performance Parameters Between Domestic and Imported Carbon Fiber
Based on publicly available data, in the high-end carbon fiber sector, imported carbon fiber continues to lead in terms of tensile strength and tensile modulus, leveraging its long-standing technological advantages. As a leading global player in the carbon fiber industry, Toray Industries of Japan produces certain carbon fiber models with exceptional performance, achieving tensile strengths exceeding 7,000 MPa and tensile moduli surpassing 300 GPa. These figures indicate that such carbon fiber materials can withstand extreme tensile forces without breaking and exhibit exceptionally high rigidity.
Domestic high-end carbon fiber products have made significant breakthroughs in recent years, achieving remarkable results. However, in terms of average performance, tensile strength typically ranges from 6,000 to 6,500 MPa, and tensile modulus falls between 280 and 300 GPa. Although there is still a certain gap compared to imported products, domestic carbon fiber is continuously striving to catch up, with ongoing increases in R&D investment and gradual improvements in technological capabilities.
In the mid-to-low-end market, domestically produced carbon fiber has demonstrated strong competitiveness. Its performance meets the requirements of most conventional applications, such as general industrial products and sports equipment. Additionally, domestically produced carbon fiber offers a cost advantage, enabling many small and medium-sized enterprises to adopt carbon fiber materials at lower costs, thereby driving its application in broader fields.
Performance Differences in Practical Applications
In the aerospace industry, where material performance requirements are extremely stringent, imported carbon fiber has long dominated the market due to its stable and outstanding performance. Critical structural components such as aircraft wings and fuselages benefit significantly from the use of imported carbon fiber, which helps ensure aircraft safety and fuel efficiency.Take international aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus as examples. They extensively use imported high-end carbon fiber materials in aircraft manufacturing. These aircraft must operate under various complex weather conditions and flight states, requiring extremely high reliability and stability from the materials. Imported carbon fiber can meet these stringent requirements.
However, in the field of sports equipment, domestically produced carbon fiber has been widely adopted. In bicycle manufacturing, domestically produced carbon fiber bicycles have gained popularity among cycling enthusiasts due to their high cost-effectiveness. Although they may slightly lag behind imported products in terms of performance, through optimized design and manufacturing processes, domestically produced carbon fiber bicycles have achieved a good balance in terms of lightweight construction, stiffness, and comfort. In fishing rod manufacturing, domestically produced carbon fiber fishing rods also perform exceptionally well, with their excellent toughness and strength meeting the needs of fishing enthusiasts in various water bodies and fishing scenarios.
Analysis of the Reasons Behind the Gap
The performance gap between domestically produced and imported carbon fiber is the result of multiple factors and has accumulated over the long term.
Raw Materials and Production Processes:
Foreign companies have been developing carbon fiber technology for a longer period of time, possessing more mature technology and extensive experience. In the critical stage of precursor fiber preparation, imported carbon fiber companies can more precisely control the quality and stability of the precursor fibers. Precursor fibers are akin to the “seeds” of carbon fiber; only high-quality precursor fibers can yield high-performance carbon fiber. Foreign companies utilize advanced production equipment and processes to strictly control the molecular structure and impurity content of precursor fibers, laying a solid foundation for subsequent high-performance carbon fiber production.
Research and Development Investment:
Research and development investment is a key driver of technological progress. Foreign carbon fiber companies have maintained high levels of R&D investment over the long term, continuously driving technological innovation and performance improvements. They possess top-tier research teams and advanced R&D facilities, enabling them to conduct in-depth studies on the microscopic structure and performance characteristics of carbon fiber materials, and develop more advanced production processes and products. In contrast, domestic carbon fiber companies still have room for improvement in terms of R&D funding and talent reserves, and need to further increase investments to attract and cultivate more outstanding research talent.
The Future Prospects of Domestic Carbon Fiber
Despite current performance gaps, the development of domestic carbon fiber is progressing strongly, with a promising future ahead. Domestic companies are continuously increasing R&D investments, actively introducing advanced technologies and talent, and have already achieved breakthroughs in certain key technologies. Some domestic companies have made innovative achievements in raw fiber preparation technology, effectively improving the quality and stability of raw fibers. Additionally, significant progress has been made in optimizing carbon fiber production processes, resulting in enhanced production efficiency and product performance.
With the continuous advancement of technology and expansion of the industry, domestically produced carbon fiber is expected to gradually narrow the performance gap with imported products and achieve a higher level of domestic production. With the strong support of national policies, the domestically produced carbon fiber industry will have broader development prospects. In the near future, domestically produced carbon fiber will demonstrate strong competitiveness in more high-end fields, providing a solid foundation for the development of China’s high-end manufacturing industry.
In summary, although there is a gap in performance between domestically produced carbon fiber and imported carbon fiber, domestically produced carbon fiber is constantly improving. We have reason to expect that domestically produced carbon fiber will achieve greater breakthroughs in the future and occupy an important position in the global carbon fiber market.