https://english.news.cn/20260115/aa7c54de4ed04b12a383e31e5c1eacf8/c.html

A high-performance carbon fiber project of the CAS the Institute of Coal Chemistry (ICC) has recently come on stream in Shanxi’s Datong City, marking China’s first domestic large-scale production of T1000-grade carbon fiber and signaling a decisive breakthrough in the country’s ability to mass-produce this highest-tier material.

Carbon fiber is a high-performance material that contains more than 90 percent carbon. It can be used to manufacture heat-resistant outer shells for rockets and spacecraft, form lightweight yet robust fuselages for aircraft, and construct sturdy driver cabins for top-tier sports cars. On a smaller scale, it transforms into carbon plates in marathon running shoes, lightweight and resilient fishing rods or light road bicycles. Furthermore, carbon fiber is indispensable for the giant blades of wind turbines, the streamlined noses of high-speed trains and storage tanks for hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles.

The ICC pioneered carbon fiber research in China as early as the 1960s and 1970s. In 2005, the institute was entrusted with a national mission to develop aerospace-grade T300-grade carbon fiber and build an industrial line (the “T” comes from the strength grading system of Toray Co., representing tensile strength. A higher number indicates better performance and exponentially greater manufacturing difficulty).

Breakthroughs and large-scale production were successively realized for T700 and T800-grade carbon fibers, with the domestic production ratio continuously rising.

At present, T1000-grade represents the frontier of ultra-high-strength carbon fiber. In 2024, the institute collaborated with Huayang Carbon Material Technology Co., Ltd. to commence construction of the first phase of the demonstration production line for a thousand-ton-level high-performance carbon fiber project in Datong. Moving from lab to factory through a fully indigenous chain of innovation, the team achieved translation of research into product. As of November 2025, the production line had completed continuous operation verification. The first phase has achieved an annual production capacity of approximately 200 tonnes.

The products will see extensive future applications in aerospace, rail transportation, new energy vehicles and the low-altitude economy, injecting strong momentum into the high-end, intelligent and green transformation of China’s manufacturing industry in the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). The team will continue striving for even higher grades of carbon fiber.