一. What is carbon fiber?
Carbon fiber (CF for short) is an inorganic fiber with a carbon main chain structure with a carbon content of more than 90% formed by the cracking and carbonization of organic fibers such as polyacrylonitrile (or asphalt, viscose) under high temperature. It is the fiber with the highest specific strength and specific modulus among the currently mass-produced high-performance fibers, and is widely used in aerospace, rail transportation, ships and vehicles, new energy and other fields.

二. What is the difference between large and small tows?
According to the tow specifications, carbon fiber can be divided into small tow and large tow:
1. Small tow: The tow specifications of carbon fiber are lower than 24K, and the number of monofilaments is between 1000 and 24000; it is mainly used in high-tech fields such as national defense and military industry, as well as sports and leisure products, such as aircraft, missiles, rockets, satellites and fishing gear, golf clubs, tennis rackets and other fields.

2. Large tow: The tow specifications of carbon fiber reach or exceed 48K, and the number of monofilaments exceeds 48000, including 48K, 60K, 80K, etc., which are mainly used in industry, including textiles, medicine and health, electromechanical, civil engineering, transportation and energy.

三. How is the carbon fiber industry chain composed?
The production process of carbon fiber is long, and the process, technology and capital barriers are high. The complete carbon fiber industry chain includes the complete manufacturing process from crude oil to terminal application.

The upstream is mainly the supply link of chemical raw materials. Acrylonitrile is obtained after a series of processes such as refining and ammonia of raw materials such as petroleum, coal and natural gas.

The midstream is the core of the industry. After spinning polyacrylonitrile, polyacrylonitrile-based precursor is obtained, and then carbon fiber is obtained after pre-oxidation, low-temperature and high-temperature carbonization; it can be made into carbon fiber fabrics and carbon fiber prepregs as raw materials for the production of carbon fiber composite materials.

Carbon fiber is combined with resins, ceramics and other materials to form carbon fiber composite materials, and finally various molding processes are used to obtain the final products required by various downstream fields.

四. The application potential of carbon fiber will be further released
The global carbon fiber application market is becoming increasingly diversified. Aerospace, wind turbine blades and sports and leisure are the three core application fields. In addition, carbon fiber is also widely used in pressure vessels, mixed film molding, carbon-carbon composites, automobiles, ships and construction.

1.In the field of aerospace, carbon fiber has become the preferred material for key components such as aircraft and missiles due to its significant characteristics of light weight and high strength. Major aviation manufacturers around the world have stepped up their research and development efforts and are committed to achieving major breakthroughs in the preparation and application technology of carbon fiber materials. This field has high technical barriers and huge R&D investment. Once important results are achieved, the market competitiveness and market share of products will be significantly improved.

2.In the field of wind turbine blades, the application of carbon fiber has faced some challenges in recent years, but with the vigorous development of the wind power industry and the continuous advancement of technology, the application prospects are still broad. Many carbon fiber manufacturers are actively cooperating with wind power equipment manufacturers to jointly develop carbon fiber materials that are more suitable for wind turbine blades. At the same time, some emerging companies are also trying to gain market share in this field through technological innovation and cost control strategies.

3.The sports and leisure field is a high value-added market for carbon fiber applications. As consumers' requirements for the performance of sports equipment increase, carbon fiber has gradually occupied an important position in the field of sports equipment due to its excellent mechanical properties and lightweight characteristics. Golf clubs, bicycle racks, fishing rods and other products have adopted carbon fiber materials. In this field, competition mainly focuses on product design and brand influence. Companies that can accurately grasp market trends and continue to innovate are more likely to stand out.

五. Strengthen technology research and development to promote industrial upgrading
Carbon fiber plays an irreplaceable role in aerospace, wind turbine blades, sports and leisure fields with its high strength, high modulus, low density and excellent corrosion resistance. Overall, the application market of carbon fiber is showing an increasingly diversified trend, and the demand and dependence on carbon fiber in different fields vary. With the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous expansion of the market, the application field of carbon fiber will be further broadened, bringing more convenience and possibilities to people's daily life.

This article is excerpted from Carbon Fiber Information

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