2024 Carbon Fiber Industry Development Summit Convenes Successfully in Langfang
From July 4th to 5th, the 2024 Carbon Fiber Industry Development Summit, organized by China Chemical Information Center and co-organized by Changsheng (Langfang) Technology Co., Ltd., was successfully held in Langfang. The summit gathered over 70 distinguished representatives from leading carbon fiber and composite material research institutions, associated enterprises, and academic experts both domestically and internationally. They convened under the theme "Empowerment through Quality, Innovation in Materials," engaging in profound discussions aimed at fostering the high-quality development of the carbon fiber industry and providing strategic insights for the sector's growth in China.
Rapid Expansion in Domestic Carbon Fiber Industry Demand and Capacity
Carbon fiber, acclaimed as the "King of New Materials" for the 21st century, is renowned for its superior mechanical performance and is extensively utilized in aerospace, wind turbine blades, automotive manufacturing, and other sectors. Currently, domestically produced carbon fiber has become the predominant supplier in the Chinese market, with a strengthening trend towards domestic substitution.
In recent years, the capacity of China's carbon fiber industry has expanded swiftly. In 2021, China surpassed the United States to become the world's largest carbon fiber producer for the first time, and by 2023, China's operational capacity accounted for half of the global carbon fiber production capacity.
Concurrently, in 2023, the total demand for carbon fiber in China was 69,000 metric tons, a 7.2% decrease from 74,000 metric tons in 2022, indicating intensified market competition and the emergence of developmental challenges. On one hand, new projects are accelerating into production, driving capacity expansion; on the other hand, market demand is declining, leading to ongoing price competition.
Domestic Carbon Fiber Industry's Spring Arrives, Yet Challenges Persist
"New materials are at the forefront of strategic emerging and future industries, forming a vital material foundation for the development of new qualitative productive forces in China," stated Shi Dongmei, Chief Engineer at the High-Tech Research and Development Center of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The global competition within the new materials industry is fierce, with materials evolving towards customization, compounding, multifunctionality, and greater resilience against extreme environments, presenting fresh challenges to China's carbon fiber industry.
Sun Hongjie, Deputy Chief Engineer at the Aerospace Materials and Process Research Institute, remarked that carbon fiber composite materials are indicative of advanced composite materials, reflecting the developmental level of China's advanced material technologies. "While China's carbon fiber composite material technology is advancing towards high performance, multifunctionality, and cost-effectiveness, it is imperative to adhere to independent innovation and technological advancement to achieve sustainable development in China's advanced composite material technology."
Promising Prospects for Carbon Fiber in China's Low-Altitude Economy
Beyond traditional application areas such as wind turbine blades, aerospace, and sports and leisure, carbon fiber is also emerging in a new application scenario: the low-altitude economy. "In 2023, the scale of China's low-altitude economy reached 505.95 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year growth of 33.8%," said Wen Shumei, a Senior Engineer at the Intelligence Business Department of China Chemical Information Center. Carbon fiber, as a key material for low-altitude aircraft, holds a very promising future application prospect.
"Low-altitude aircraft, which constitute a significant proportion of the low-altitude economy, have a composite material usage rate of 80% to 90% per unit. Low-altitude aircraft used for transporting people, goods, and agricultural and forestry protection can number in the thousands or even tens of thousands, creating a substantial demand for carbon fiber and composite materials and providing a rare opportunity for the development of China's carbon fiber industry," said Li Hongyun, Chief Technology Expert at AVIC Composite Materials Co., Ltd.
The two-day summit featured keynote speeches, high-level interviews, product exhibitions, and on-site observations, serving as a concentrated showcase of the development opportunities and industrial foundations of China's carbon fiber industry and an efficient platform for promoting industry exchanges and project cooperation.
