China steps up challenge to US, Japan in a strategic aerospace material
China has stepped up mass production of ultra-high-strength carbon fibre amid export restrictions imposed by the United States and Japan – a move that could upend the global supply chain for a material. . .
China has stepped up mass production of ultra-high-strength carbon fibre amid export restrictions imposed by the United States and Japan – a move that could upend the global supply chain for a material critical to the aerospace, drone and robotics industries. State-owned China National Building Material Group (CNBM) launched three production lines in east China’s Jiangsu province, including one facility over the weekend capable of producing 1,000 tonnes of high-strength T1100-grade carbon fibre a year, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. The material is mainly used in aerospace applications, low-altitude flying aircraft and launch vehicles. The announcement comes as Washington and Tokyo have tightened export controls on specialised equipment and technology used to manufacture high-strength carbon fibre, in an effort to block Chinese firms from producing the material. But in March, state media reported that China had become thefirst country to mass produceT1200-grade fibre, the world’s strongest. “Export restrictions by foreign countries have prompted China’s home-grown carbon fibre industry to pursue technological self-reliance with control of its own entire supply chain,” said Ma Jie, an analyst at Guoyuan Securities, in a research report released last week. “Pushed by external pressure, domestic manufacturers have made great progress, moving from a difficult start with T300 carbon fibre to today’s technological breakthroughs that meet the world’s top standards,” Ma added. Carbon fibre is considered a strategic material thanks to its outstanding resistance, chemical stability and strength. T300 is a general-purpose grade while T1100 is among the strongest types, which are rated based on their ability to withstand stress.