JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #143 - November/December 2021 - 16

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BUSlNESS market
Carbon fi bre: China accelerates the timelines
Relying heavily on imports and continuously pressured by a steadily
growing demand, the Chinese carbon fibre industrial supply chain has
to more than double its current production capacity. China's industrial
giants Sinopec and Baowu Steel Group are new contributors to the
national effort.
C
"
arbon fibre was in short
supply in China for nearly
the whole year 2020. "
This concern is expressed by
Zhejiang Jinggong Science &
Technology (JGST), China
conglomerate Jinggong
Group's subsidiary specialized
in equipment technology.
The company underlines
that " as an indispensable new
strategic material for China's
economic development and
national defence construction,
carbon fibre has been in
strong demand in wind power
generation, aerospace,
sports
and leisure, and rail transit in
recent years. "
This tough situation is taken
seriously at the national
level. According to JGST,
the
Chinese
authorities
Market
Carbon fi bre: China accelerates the timelines
Development
Five decades of composites,
from raw materials to fi nished parts
Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical announces the construction
of an RMB 3.5 billion (€450 million) carbon fi bre project (source: Sinopec)
Focus
Sinopec kicks off its 48K large-tow carbon fibre project
Shanghai Petrochemical (SPC), one of China's largest petrochemical companies and a Sinopec subsidiary, started the construction of a
major industrial project in Shanghai. Scheduled to be completed by 2024, the RMB 3.5 billion (€450 million) project will produce 24,000 tons
of carbon fi bre precursor and 12,000 tons of 48K large-tow carbon fi bre.
48K carbon fi bre tow products are the most widely used among the large-tow varieties in the Chinese market. The rail transportation,
automotive lightweighting, oil and gas, construction, drone and large aircraft sectors are eager to use these large-tow carbon fi bre products
that still have development potential. The completion of this investment project will be conducive to meeting the domestic market demand
for carbon fi bre composite materials and promote the carbon fi bre industry's technological progress. The company will reduce costs and
stabilize product quality to enhance product profi tability. " When the project is put into operation, it will change the situation of China relying
completely on imports of large-tow carbon for a long time, while giving a strong impetus to the development of the domestic carbon fi bre
industry and helping Chinese manufacturing " , said Sinopec, SPC's parent company. 48K large-tow carbon fi bre has excellent mechanical
properties and high corrosion resistance, its specifi c gravity is less than a quarter of steel, but its strength is 7 to 9 times that of steel. It is
a high-strength new fi bre material with broad application prospects that is widely used in aircraft parts, rail transit raw materials, car body
manufacturing, etc. In order to achieve technological breakthroughs, SPC and Shanghai Petrochemical Research Institute, with the support
of the city of Shanghai, established partnerships with universities such as Fudan University to conduct collaborative innovation. In 2018, they
successfully trial-produced 48K large-tow carbon fi bre. As of 2020, Shanghai Petrochemical held a total of 165 carbon fi bre-related patents.
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jec composites magazine / N°
143 November - December 2021
BUSlNESS

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #143 - November/December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #143 - November/December 2021