In order to give full play to the respective advantages of scientific research institutes and enterprises, establish innovation value chain, and enhance the independent innovation ability and competitiveness of enterprises, after many communications and exchanges in the early stage, on June 1, the Institute of Materials of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMS) in Ningbo, China, and Shandong Kaitai Petrochemicals Company Limited (hereinafter referred to as Kaitai Petrochemicals) signed the cooperation agreement to jointly set up the "PAN-based Carbon Fiber Engineering Technology Center". (hereinafter referred to as "Kaitai Petrochemical") signed a cooperation agreement to jointly establish the "PAN-based Carbon Fiber Engineering and Technology Center", which is dedicated to the innovation and development of dry polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber technology.
At present, the common spinning methods for high-performance fibers are mainly divided into two categories: melt spinning and solution spinning, of which solution spinning can be divided into dry solution spinning (dry method) and wet solution spinning (including wet spinning and dry spray wet spinning). Dry spinning is the PAN spinning liquid through the metering pump and spinneret spray extrusion into the gas flow of the spinning cylinder (dry cylinder), the solvent volatilization and solidification into fiber.
Schematic diagram of dry spinning
Traditionally, dry spinning equipment and process parameters are relatively complex, while the spinning rate is fast and the draw multiplier is high, which makes it difficult to spin PAN filaments suitable for carbon fibers. Aiming at the relevant technical difficulties, Kaitai Petrochemical Company has carried out a lot of research work, broken through the bottleneck of dry PAN filament production technology for high-performance carbon fiber, developed a series of different specifications for carbon fiber production of dry PAN filaments, and through the pre-oxidation, carbonization process, to obtain the preparation of excellent performance of dry PAN-based carbon fiber.
According to the objectives and tasks of the "PAN-based Carbon Fiber Engineering and Technology Center" jointly established by the two parties, the carbon fiber and composite materials team of NAMI will make use of its carbon fiber pilot platform to carry out comprehensive performance evaluation of dry PAN filaments produced by Kaitai Petrochemicals, focusing on the physicochemical structure of the dry PAN filaments, the evolution of the structure in the process of oxidative carbonization, as well as the dry PAN-based carbon fibers. It focuses on the physicochemical structure of dry PAN filaments, the structural evolution during oxygen carbonization, and the dry PAN-based carbon fiber prepreg molding process, etc. At the same time, it provides technical guidance and optimization solutions for the dry PAN filament plant of Kaitai Petrochemical.
Compared with the traditional wet process, dry carbon fiber has a unique cross-section structure (the above figure shows the cross-section shape of dry carbon fiber produced on the carbon fiber platform of Ningbo Institute of Materials, using Kaitai Petrochemical's dry PAN filament as raw material).
About Shandong Kaitai Petrochemical Company
Shandong Kaitai Petrochemical Company is currently the only enterprise engaged in the industrial preparation of dry PAN-based carbon fiber series products in China, and has long been committed to the research and development and application of a series of dry carbon fiber products with unique and excellent performance, and has realized the industrialization, high-end, differentiated and customized production of dry PAN-based carbon fibers. The company's main business projects: carbon fiber filament and series of products R & D and manufacturing, functional fiber R & D and manufacturing, high-performance fibers and composite materials R & D and manufacturing.
Through repeated exchanges, discussions and forecasts with many universities, scientific research units and industry head enterprises on the research and development of new PAN-based products and market prospects, the company has determined the research and development and industrialization development strategy of dry carbon fiber filament series products, and carried out the research and development of production process technology and equipment for series of dry PAN filament products. 2022, "dry spinning of high-performance PAN-based carbon fiber filaments for industrialization" was listed as the key technology and equipment research and development of dry spinning of high-performance PAN-based carbon fiber filaments. Key technology and equipment research and development" is listed as Zibo key R & D program (outside the city school city integration) project, in March of the same year, successfully built the first set of domestic kiloton dry spinning PAN-based carbon fiber filament production line, can produce a variety of models and characteristics of carbon fiber filament products.
Dry-spun PAN-based carbon fiber filaments produced by Kaitai Petrochemicals
In July 2022, the company's "dry spinning of high-performance PAN-based carbon fiber filament industrialization of key technologies and equipment research and development" passed the China Textile Industry Federation of scientific and technological achievements appraisal; in March 2024, the original production line after the expansion of the transformation of the first set of 1,000-ton dry spinning of PAN-based carbon fiber filament production line with a small tow. production line. The company has formed more than 20 national patented technologies in the field of dry spinning PAN-based carbon fiber and its raw silk.