【Frontiers in HaiChuan Chemical Technology】A team led by Wuhan University of Technology has made a significant breakthrough in the field of high-performance large-tow carbon fibers

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Recently, a joint research team led by Wuhan University of Technology made a significant breakthrough in the field of high-performance large-tow carbon fibers. It has successfully developed the key technologies across the entire industrial chain, from raw materials to end products, and established an independent and controllable technical system as well as an application ecosystem, thereby laying a solid foundation for the high-quality development of strategic new materials in our country. In the past, China’s carbon fiber industry relied mainly on small fiber bundles with 1,000–12,000 filaments per bundle, resulting in high production costs and expensive prices, which severely restricted their widespread use. Large tow carbon fibers, composed of a single beam of over 48,000 fibers, offer good cost-performance; with equivalent performance, they overcome the application limitations imposed by the high prices of small tow carbon fibers. At present, its global demand has surpassed that of small-tow carbon fibers, making it the dominant trend in the widespread use of carbon fibers. However, related technologies have long been restricted by foreign embargoes, and the domestic industry faces three major challenges: low performance, poor production stability, and insufficient supporting infrastructure in downstream applications. Relying on independent innovation, Wuhan University of Technology has overcome the challenges related to dry-jet wet-spinning production technology and the corresponding equipment, enabling the quantitative production of high-performance (T700 grade) large-tube carbon fibers with a diameter of 48K. Tensile strength has increased significantly, with costs reduced by about 20%. The complete sets of equipment that were previously strictly restricted are now fully under independent control. Overcoming the \"raw materials\" is just the first step. Wuhan University of Technology has further addressed the issue of performance degradation in large-tow carbon fiber composites during the molding process by focusing on their applications. It has developed resin systems with low viscosity and high wettability, and equipped these composites with properties such as heat resistance and corrosion protection to ensure stable and reliable performance throughout the processing stage.