Recently, NASA and the US Air Force Research Laboratory jointly developed a new technology for 3D printing of high temperature resistant polymers, which is expected to be applied to aerospace engines in the future. The material used in this technology is carbon fiber. Modern warfare weapons and equipment are rapidly developing towards low energy consumption, large loads, stealth and high mobility, and higher requirements are placed on the materials used to manufacture weapons. Carbon fiber composite materials, known as "black gold", are widely used in defense and military industries due to their excellent material properties. The use of carbon fiber materials to create better performance weapons and equipment has long been a new battlefield for competition among military powers.

The king of new materials in the competition of big countries
Modern warfare weapons and equipment are rapidly developing towards low energy consumption, heavy load, stealth and high mobility, and put forward new and higher requirements for the new material technology for manufacturing weapons and equipment. Looking back at history, it is not difficult to find that every major progress in carbon fiber materials is accompanied by a strong pull of relevant military needs. In the 1950s, in order to solve the key technical problems of high temperature and corrosion resistance of missile nozzles and warheads, the United States took the lead in developing viscose-based carbon fibers. Since then, with the emergence of higher performance and more varieties of carbon fiber materials, seemingly soft fibers have become the "king of new materials" in the competition of big countries.

Carbon fiber is a new type of high-performance fiber with a carbon content of more than 95%. It is difficult to manufacture and is an important indicator for measuring the advanced performance of weapon systems. The manufacturing process of carbon fiber materials is very complicated, involving chemical, textile, materials, precision machinery and other fields. It is a systematic project that integrates multidisciplinary, refined and high-tech technologies. Since the entire production process involves high-precision control of thousands of parameters such as humidity, concentration, viscosity, and flow rate, slight carelessness can seriously affect the performance and quality stability of carbon fiber materials. Therefore, only a few countries can stably produce high-performance carbon fiber materials.

In fact, Carbon fiber materials, especially high-strength carbon fiber strands, can be used in the development of high-performance weapons and equipment, thus achieving an embargo level comparable to nuclear weapons technology on the export lists of some countries. Therefore, the development of a new generation of carbon fiber materials and higher performance weapons and equipment has become the "heavy play" of the military powers to compete for cutting-edge strength. At present, various military powers have set their sights on the field of "carbon fiber materials", and are competing to launch plans for research and development of carbon fiber materials, or to launch "competition of carbon fiber materials". The US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency has previously invested heavily in improving carbon fiber material strength projects, and NASA is actively investing in new carbon fiber thermal protection systems.

"Going to the sea" has broad prospects for development

With the maturity of related technologies and the increasing demand for weapons and equipment, the application of carbon fiber materials is becoming more and more perfect. Carbon fiber materials with many advantages such as light weight, high strength and chemical resistance are bound to enter the field of weapons and equipment in an all-round way, achieving "going to the sea" and having broad development prospects.

In the field of aerospace manufacturing, the application of carbon fiber materials has long been indispensable. The F-35 fighter's main body of the flight helmet uses high-performance Carbon fiber material to directly project airspeed, heading, altitude, target information and radar warnings onto the helmet's mask, providing the pilot with unprecedented situational awareness. In the "Sunshine Power 2" solar-powered aircraft that launched the global flight tour in 2015, 80% of the overall structure used carbon fiber materials as "warm outerwear", which also saved more power during the flight. In addition to meeting the weight loss and special performance requirements of the body, the carbon fiber material that can effectively absorb the radar wave is also covered with a "stealing coat" for the fighter. The fuselage of the US B-2 bomber and the F-117A fighter also use carbon fiber absorbing materials.

In the field of drones, carbon fiber materials have become an irreplaceable "best casing". In order to ensure the carrying capacity and endurance, the UAV shell requires special materials with high structural strength and light weight. Compared with aluminum alloys and engineering plastics widely used before, carbon fiber materials are light in weight, high in strength, and have better electromagnetic shielding and stealth characteristics, and are more convenient to form and manufacture. The future is bound to become the main material of the outer casing of the drone. . In particular, micro-UAVs made of carbon fiber and weighing only 106 milligrams can enter the narrow space for squeezing to search for information, and have broad application prospects in the military civilian field.

Carbon fibermaterials can not only go to heaven but also go to sea. The US "Ford" aircraft carrier uses a large amount of carbon fiber material to "slim down". The Swedish Royal Navy "Visby" class stealth frigate uses carbon fiber material, which not only has high strength and durability, but also has excellent impact resistance. The Indian Navy also imported carbon fiber materials from Sweden when manufacturing the "Giltan" and "Kavalati" frigates.

In addition, carbon fiber materials are also widely used in satellite, missile and rocket engines. In particular, satellites face "ice and fire" when flying in space, and the carbon fiber material with almost negligible thermal expansion coefficient is precisely the "savior" of satellites. The researchers even introduced a carbon fiber barrel that significantly improved the firing accuracy, durability and barrel life of the gun. A "big show" that belongs to the military application of carbon fiber has just begun.

Yancheng Xiangsheng Carbon Fiber Technology Co., Ltd. is a state-level high-tech enterprise approved by the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. The registered trademark is “Xiangli”. The company occupies an area of ​​10 mu with a total investment of 35 million yuan. Production, sales and integration.

Yancheng Xiangsheng Carbon Fiber Technology Co., Ltd. has 13 utility model patents, two invention patents, and one design patent. It is now a member of China Charcoal Materials Industry Association and a member of China Friction Sealing Materials Association.