What is High-Performance Carbon Fiber and Its Application Industries
High-performance carbon fiber is a crucial material that supports the development of emerging strategic industries due to its outstanding properties, including light weight, high strength, high modulus, electrical conductivity, high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, erosion resistance, low coefficient of thermal expansion, as well as excellent designability and composite compatibility.
China’s Zhongfu Shenying has independently developed and broken through core technologies in carbon fiber production. The company has mastered large-scale production technologies for T300, T700, T800, M30, and M35 grade carbon fibers at the kiloton scale and M40 and T1000 grade technologies at the hundred-ton scale. They are also advancing the industrialization of T1100 grade carbon fiber and developing application technologies for aerospace-grade carbon fiber, achieving full coverage of high-strength, high-strength medium-modulus, and high-strength high-modulus carbon fiber products.
Application Areas
Zhongfu Shenying has taken the lead in achieving an annual production capacity exceeding 10,000 tons, with single-line annual production capacities of 3,000 tons. Their products are widely used in various industries, including aerospace, wind turbine blades, pressure vessels, carbon/carbon composites, sports and leisure, automotive, rail transportation, carbon-core cables, and construction bridges. This significantly promotes the development of downstream carbon fiber composite industries.
Aerospace The stringent environmental conditions in the aerospace industry demand excellent tensile strength, compression performance, impact resistance, and fatigue resistance from structural materials. Carbon fibers and their composites possess superior characteristics such as high-temperature resistance, low density, and high strength. In the aviation sector, carbon fibers can be used in aircraft structural materials, significantly reducing overall weight and lowering fuel costs. In the space sector, they can be used as thermal protection materials and multifunctional structural materials for spacecraft, greatly reducing launch weight, saving launch costs, and increasing the effective range.
Zhongfu Shenying’s SYT49S, SYT49C, SYT55S, and SYT55G series of carbon fibers meet the mechanical performance requirements for structural materials in large commercial aircraft, general aviation, launch vehicles, and commercial satellites.
Zhongfu Shenying has taken the lead in achieving an annual production capacity exceeding 10,000 tons, with single-line annual production capacities of 3,000 tons. Their products are widely used in various industries, including aerospace, wind turbine blades, pressure vessels, carbon/carbon composites, sports and leisure, automotive, rail transportation, carbon-core cables, and construction bridges. This significantly promotes the development of downstream carbon fiber composite industries.
Aerospace The stringent environmental conditions in the aerospace industry demand excellent tensile strength, compression performance, impact resistance, and fatigue resistance from structural materials. Carbon fibers and their composites possess superior characteristics such as high-temperature resistance, low density, and high strength. In the aviation sector, carbon fibers can be used in aircraft structural materials, significantly reducing overall weight and lowering fuel costs. In the space sector, they can be used as thermal protection materials and multifunctional structural materials for spacecraft, greatly reducing launch weight, saving launch costs, and increasing the effective range.
Zhongfu Shenying’s SYT49S, SYT49C, SYT55S, and SYT55G series of carbon fibers meet the mechanical performance requirements for structural materials in large commercial aircraft, general aviation, launch vehicles, and commercial satellites.
Wind Turbine Blade Wind turbine blades operate in natural environments for long periods. Carbon fiber offers superior strength, elasticity, fatigue resistance, UV resistance, and electromagnetic wave interference resistance, which significantly improves the overall performance and service life of wind turbine blades. Compared to traditional glass fiber, carbon fiber excels in density and rigidity. Zhongfu Shenying’s SYT45S series carbon fiber, with its high specific strength and high specific tensile modulus, meets the demands for larger, lighter, and more durable wind turbine blades.
Pressure Vessel In pressure vessel applications, where the internal medium pressure is high, safety and stability are particularly important. Carbon fiber-wound cylinders have advantages such as light weight, good processability, safety, reliability, and high storage efficiency. They are primarily used in high-pressure cylinders for breathing, natural gas, and hydrogen storage, providing reliable reinforcement for the pressure-bearing capacity and safety of pressure vessels. Zhongfu Shenying’s SYT49S and SYT55S series carbon fibers perform excellently in winding processes, with low fuzzing, good wettability, smooth processing, and high fiber strength conversion rates. The resulting pressure vessels can meet various design requirements.
Carbon/Carbon Composites Carbon/carbon composites are widely used in aerospace, automotive, nuclear energy, and medical industries. With the rapid development of the photovoltaic and other new energy industries, carbon/carbon composites have become one of the best materials for photovoltaic thermal fields due to their excellent mechanical properties under ultra-high temperature conditions. These materials can significantly improve photovoltaic power generation efficiency and reduce costs. Zhongfu Shenying’s SYT49S carbon fiber, featuring high elongation at break and a smooth surface, exhibits good processability and dimensional accuracy in 3D weaving and needling processes. It also offers advantages such as low coefficient of thermal expansion, low wear rate, and high resistance to thermal shock in high-temperature environments. This fiber is widely used in brake discs and thermal field materials.
Sports and Leisure In the high-end sports and leisure market, carbon fiber’s properties of being lightweight, high-strength, high-modulus, and corrosion-resistant have led to its widespread application in premium sports equipment such as golf clubs, tennis rackets, fishing rods, bicycles, racing cars, and skis. These materials are bringing revolutionary changes to the sports and leisure industry. Zhongfu Shenying’s SYT45S, SYT49S, and SYT55S series carbon fibers meet the requirements of high-performance thermosetting prepregs and solvent-based prepreg production processes, significantly enhancing the performance of sports equipment.
Automotive Industry With the rapid development of the automotive industry, especially new energy vehicles, carbon fiber and its composites are widely used in car bodies, interior and exterior parts, chassis systems, and power systems. Their mechanical properties not only meet the rigidity requirements of vehicles but also contribute to vehicle lightweighting. Zhongfu Shenying’s SYT45S and SYT49S series carbon fibers, with their excellent mechanical and process properties, are well-suited for meeting the demands of automotive lightweighting.
Rail Transport Lightweighting, energy saving, and consumption reduction are important directions for the development of rail transportation equipment. Carbon fiber composites, with their lightweight, high strength, energy absorption, shock resistance, and high weather resistance, are being applied to various load-bearing structural components such as streamlined train nose covers, equipment cabins, and seat frames, as well as interior and exterior parts like skins, wall panels, and roof panels. Zhongfu Shenying’s SYT49S and SYT55S series carbon fibers meet the processing and mechanical performance requirements of the rail transport industry.
Carbon Core Cable Carbon fiber composite core cables consist of a carbon fiber core rod and an outer aluminum layer, offering advantages such as high temperature resistance, large current-carrying capacity, high tensile strength, light weight, and minimal sag. These cables reduce tower costs and occupy less space. Compared to traditional steel-reinforced aluminum cables, carbon core cables can withstand harsher operating environments and improve transmission efficiency. Zhongfu Shenying’s SYT49S series carbon fiber composite core conductors have a tensile strength of up to 2800 MPa, double that of conventional steel-reinforced aluminum cables.
Architecture & Bridge In all-weather conditions, carbon fiber offers excellent anti-aging, humidity, heat, and corrosion resistance, ensuring long-lasting reliability. It is used in engineering structures such as bridges, tunnels, marine structures, and non-magnetic buildings, enhancing safety and seismic resistance while reducing structural weight and volume. Zhongfu Shenying’s SYT49S series carbon fiber unidirectional fabric and carbon plates meet the mechanical performance requirements for various application scenarios (tensile strength ≥ 3400 MPa).