Industry chiefs have said a T1000 carbon fiber production line which began operating in Datong, Shanxi province on Sunday represents a major breakthrough in China's scaled mass production of high-performance carbon fiber, a product which has been hailed as the "king of new materials".

Construction on the 200-ton-per-year high-performance carbon fiber demonstration production line for 12K small tow T1000 carbon fiber began in June 2024.

It was the first phase of a high-performance carbon fiber project led by Shanxi Huayang Carbon Material Technology, a corporation co-established by Huayang New Material Technology Group, Datong city government and the Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Fang Yitian, director of the Institute of Coal Chemistry, said: "The project breaks foreign technological monopolies and ensures the security and resilience of the national supply chain for critical materials."

High-performance carbon fiber has been one of the primary development directions in China's strategic emerging industries, which serves as the lifeblood and forerunner for the development of high-tech, cutting-edge defense technologies, and carries potential for the transformation of traditional industries worldwide.

The T1000 carbon fiber has a single filament diameter of 6 to 7 micrometers, which is less than 1/10 of a human hair, yet its tensile strength exceeds 6400 MPa. While its density is 1/4 of steel, its strength is more than 5 times that of steel.

For instance, a 1-meter-long strand of T1000 carbon fiber produced by Huayang weighs only 0.5 grams, but can support a load of 200 kilograms. It is also resistant to high temperatures and corrosion, remaining chemically inert in acidic and alkaline environments, with excellent thermal and electrical conductivity.