The bottleneck in the preparation of polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber precursors has been solved and there is huge room for development

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber is a fiber made of acrylonitrile homopolymer or acrylonitrile-based copolymer. It is a new inorganic fibrous material with a carbon mass fraction of more than 90%. It has high strength and high With excellent properties such as modulus, high temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance, it is widely used in aerospace, transportation, infrastructure construction, sports equipment and other fields. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber precursor is a fiber made of acrylonitrile homopolymer or acrylonitrile-based copolymer. It is used as a carbon fiber precursor, and its performance directly affects the performance of carbon fiber.

In the 1960s, China began the research and development and production of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber precursors. The production process has successively gone through the nitric acid method, the sodium thiocyanate method, the dimethyl sulfoxide method, and the preparation of composite solvent precursors. Technology, the changes of three generations of organic solvent system preparation technology, currently have formed a domestic production of high-strength carbon fiber precursors with the one-step wet spinning process of organic solvent method as the main body, and the coexistence of other solvent system one-step or two-step wet spinning processes. Chemical technology system, product quality and performance have made great progress, and a production capacity of more than 1,000 tons has been established, which has basically solved the bottleneck problem in the preparation and application of domestic high-performance fibers.

The specifications of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber raw filaments are divided into 0.5K, 1K, 1.5K, 3K, 6K, 12K, 24K, etc. based on the nominal number of single filaments. The production process of products with 12K raw filaments and below is relatively simple. However, the production process of large tow raw yarns above 24K is more difficult, and there are problems such as high yarn breakage rate and poor production stability during the production process. Therefore, currently, the polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber precursors on the market are mainly products with specifications of 12K and below. According to the released “In-depth Market Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report on China’s Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbon Fiber Raw Filament Industry from 2023 to 2028”, Chinese polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber precursor manufacturers include Jilin Carbon Valley Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd., Weihai Guangwei Composite Materials Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Hengshen Co., Ltd., etc. Among them, Jilin Carbon Valley Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd. has complete product specifications and can produce 1K, 3K, 6K, 12K, 12S, 12KK, 24K, 25K, 48K, 50K and other carbon fiber raw fiber products.

Industrial analysts said that currently, China’s polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber precursors are facing multiple development opportunities. First of all, China Aviation The fields of aerospace, carbon/carbon composite materials, sports and leisure, and hydrogen storage bottles are all in rapid development. The sustained and rapid development of downstream industries has laid the foundation for the growth of demand for polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber raw filaments; secondly, China The polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber precursor industry has broad room for import substitution. However, due to factors such as the Sino-US trade war and the economic recession caused by the epidemic, it is more difficult for foreign products to export to the Chinese market. Domestic polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber precursor industry development has brought opportunities.