Shanghai Petrochemical, in collaboration with the Shanghai Research Institute of Petrochemical Technology, has successfully conquered the core technology of wet-process T1000-grade high-performance carbon fiber, marking the official mass production of China’s first T1000-grade small tow carbon fiber. This groundbreaking technological breakthrough empowers critical domestic strategic industries and delivers high-end core material support for aerospace, embodied intelligence, low-altitude economy and other cutting-edge future sectors.
Widely hailed as the "king of new materials" and "black gold", carbon fiber stands out among advanced materials for its exceptional comprehensive performance. It features an ultra-low density, less than one-quarter of steel, while boasting 7 to 9 times the tensile strength of steel, paired with outstanding corrosion resistance. These unique properties make it an indispensable core material for high-end manufacturing and strategic emerging industries worldwide.
Carbon fiber is categorized into small tow and large tow types based on tow specifications. Small tow carbon fiber refers to 24K and below tow specifications, with finer filaments and higher precision, perfectly matching the stringent performance requirements of aerospace and high-end equipment fields. In contrast, large tow carbon fiber (48K and above) features higher single-line production capacity and lower costs, serving as the key material for large-scale applications in wind power, energy storage and other industrial scenarios.
The newly mass-produced T1000-grade carbon fiber from Shanghai Petrochemical adopts a 12K small tow specification, with a single tow tensile strength exceeding 6.5 GPa and a tensile modulus of over 300 GPa, reaching the leading level of high-performance carbon fiber in the industry.
The mass production of T1000-grade small tow carbon fiber complements the company’s large tow carbon fiber products, greatly optimizing and improving Shanghai Petrochemical’s full-range carbon fiber product system. At present, the enterprise has mastered the production technology of nearly 20 carbon fiber models covering multiple tow specifications, including 3K, 6K, 12K, 24K, 48K and 60K.
Its product portfolio covers both general and high-performance grades, enabling wide application scenarios ranging from aerospace, high-end manufacturing, wind power and transportation to sports and leisure industries. The diversified product layout meets the differentiated market demands of civil industry and national strategic high-end fields simultaneously.
Technological breakthroughs are supported by continuous R&D investment and intellectual property accumulation. By the end of 2025, Sinopec has filed 868 patents in the field of carbon fiber and its composite materials, with 417 patents authorized and 4 PCT international patent applications completed.
The successful mass production of T1000-grade small tow carbon fiber represents a milestone achievement for Shanghai Petrochemical in the high-performance carbon fiber sector. It effectively breaks through technical bottlenecks in domestic high-end carbon fiber manufacturing, reduces reliance on imported high-performance strategic materials, and provides solid material guarantees for the independent and controllable development of China’s aerospace, intelligent manufacturing and low-altitude economy industries.
