Carbon fiber is a high-performance material that can be widely used in military industry, aerospace, transportation, new energy, automobile lightweighting, and sporting goods after being compounded with resin, metal, ceramic and other matrices to form structural materials. field. In 2020, the top three countries in terms of global carbon fiber production capacity are the United States, China and Japan. From the perspective of manufacturing companies, after the merger of Japan's Toray and Zocotech, the carbon fiber production capacity reached 53,700 tons, which is far ahead in the industry.
The production capacity of many Chinese companies such as Zhongfu Shenying, Jiangsu Hengshen and Guangwei Composite Materials also exceeds 5,000 tons. From the perspective of market segments, Japanese companies have a competitive advantage in the small-tow carbon fiber market. Three Japanese companies, Toray, Toho and Mitsubishi, occupy 49% of the global small tow carbon fiber market share. In the large-tow carbon fiber market, Hexcel of the United States leads the world, accounting for 58% of the global market share.
1. Definition and classification of carbon fiber
Carbon fiber is an inorganic high-performance fiber with a carbon content higher than 90, which is transformed from organic fiber through a series of heat treatments. A new material with excellent performance, which has the inherent characteristics of carbon materials and the soft processability of textile fibers, is a new generation of reinforced fiber. At the same time, due to its unique high-strength and high-modulus properties, it can be widely used in military industry, aerospace, transportation, new energy, automobile lightweighting, sporting goods and other fields after being composited with resin, metal, ceramic and other matrices to prepare structural materials.
According to mechanical properties, carbon fiber can be divided into large tow carbon fiber and small tow carbon fiber. The former is mainly used in industry, and the latter is mainly used in defense industry, aerospace, sports and other fields.
2. Regional distribution of carbon fiber production capacity - the three pillars of the United States, China and Japan
In 2020, the theoretical carbon fiber production capacity of the United States, Japan and China accounted for 59.8% of the global theoretical carbon fiber production capacity. Among them, the United States has the largest theoretical carbon fiber production capacity of 37,300 tons; second is China, with a theoretical carbon fiber production capacity of 36,200 tons; third is Japan, with a theoretical carbon fiber production capacity of 29,200 tons.
3. The world's major carbon fiber manufacturers: Toray Zoltek is far ahead, and many Chinese companies have production capacity of more than 5,000 tons
From a production capacity perspective, the world's leading carbon fiber companies in 2020 Concentrated in Japan and the United States. After the merger of Toray and Zoltek, the total production capacity is unique in the industry, reaching approximately 53,700 tons. Sigli Group and Mitsubishi Rayon ranked second and third respectively, with production capacities of 14,800 tons and 14,100 tons respectively. In recent years, with the development of China's carbon fiber technology, the production capacity of China's national enterprises has also increased. Among them, Zhongfu Shenying's production capacity exceeded 8,000 tons in 2020, Jiangsu Hengshen's production capacity exceeded 5,000 tons, and Guangwei Composite's production capacity exceeded 5000 tons.
4. Small-tow carbon fiber market competition pattern: Japanese companies have greater advantages
In the global small-tow carbon fiber market competition, Japanese companies occupy a dominant position. In 2020, Japan's Toray, Toho and Mitsubishi accounted for 49% of the global small tow carbon fiber market share. Among them, Japan's Toray's production capacity accounts for 26% of the world's total small tow production capacity, Toho's small tow production capacity accounts for 13% of the world's total small tow production capacity, and Mitsubishi ranks third with 10%.
5. Large-tow carbon fiber market competition landscape: Hexcel of the United States ranks first
Large-tow carbon fiber is mainly used in industrial fields, including: textiles, medicine, health, and electromechanical , civil construction, transportation and energy, etc. In 2020, in the field of large tow carbon fiber, Hexcel of the United States is the world's main large tow supplier, accounting for 58% of the global market share, followed by Germany's SGL with 31%, and Japan's Mitsubishi with 9%. Other companies only account for the remaining 2.
——For more industry-related data, please refer to the "In-depth Research and Investment Strategic Planning Analysis Report on China's Carbon Fiber Industry" by the Qianzhan Industry Research Institute