Breakthrough in "Choke Point" Technology! China UHMWPE Fiber Achieves Scaled Breakthrough

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber is listed as one of the world's three major high-performance fibers and is a key new material related to national strategic security. In the past, its core preparation technology was long monopolized by a few developed countries, and domestic demand was highly dependent on imports.

In 2012, Kyushu Star Technology Co., Ltd. launched an independent initiative, demonstrating perseverance over ten years to achieve a remarkable turnaround in the industry: the product range expanded from a single specification to a full series covering 10D to 1600D, and high-end varieties such as bulletproof, colored, and fine denier were developed. From the mass production of the first production line to now achieving an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons and a global market share of 60%, it has become a "single champion" in manufacturing certified by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, completely reversing China's passive situation in this field.

In the high-end sector, Jiuzhou Xingji continues to make breakthroughs in "bottleneck" technologies, successfully overcoming global challenges such as "poor creep resistance" and "difficulty in achieving ultra-high strength." They have developed low-creep fibers for marine engineering with creep resistance improved by 100 times and bulletproof fibers with a breaking strength of 45 cN/dtex, which are on par with international top standards. These fibers have been widely used in critical areas such as national defense, military industry, and marine engineering equipment, providing strong support for the security of the national industrial and supply chains.

In the civilian market, we pioneered the "strength gradient control" technology. Through material modification and process optimization, we launched a medium-strength series of products, significantly lowering the application threshold and making high-performance fibers no longer just a "luxury."

"The mission of technology is not just to climb the 'summits' of technology, but to ensure that the results serve thousands of households," said Zhou Xinqi, Chairman of Jiuzhou Interstellar.

According to the plan, by 2026, with the full release of Zhongqiang fiber production capacity, it will meet the strong demand of emerging industries such as robot protection, wind turbine blade reinforcement, and drone structural components, leading to the creation of an even larger industrial cluster.

The key to high-performance fibers entering the mass market lies in a thorough "cost revolution." The core solvent used in production was previously flammable, explosive, and volatile, leading to high consumption and constraints on safe storage. After continuous efforts, the technical team finally selected a safer and more cost-effective alternative solvent and comprehensively upgraded the recovery devices and process flow. This led to a dramatic reduction in solvent consumption from 300-500 kilograms per ton of product to 60-80 kilograms. This change alone results in annual cost savings of over 60 million yuan.

More groundbreaking is that the company has spent three years successfully venturing into the "solvent-free spinning process," a globally recognized "no man's land" in the industry. Through collaborative innovation in raw material formulation and equipment systems, they have overcome the global challenge of continuously spinning high-viscosity melts. The new process not only achieves green production and cost optimization but also increases single-line production capacity from 400 tons to 1000 tons. At the same time, it reduces equipment investment and establishes a fully automated intelligent production line.

Technological breakthroughs and cost reductions jointly drive the innovation flywheel of "technology iteration—application expansion—capacity enhancement—cost optimization." In Rudong, a billion-level safety protection industrial chain centered around this fiber has taken shape and developed into a nationally leading anti-cut labor protection glove industry cluster, dominating the domestic high-end anti-cut glove market.

Symbolically, the company has developed a new functional fabric that combines excellent abrasion resistance, cut resistance, and comfort by blending its self-developed low-residue oil fibers with natural or conventional fibers such as polyester and cotton. This has led to the launch of a fashionable summer collection. This marks the integration of strategic materials, previously confined to "high-tech" fields, into daily life in a tangible way, achieving a deep fusion of technology and industry.

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE fiber), also known as high-strength high-modulus polyethylene fiber, refers to high-performance fibers made from polyethylene resin with a molecular weight of over one million. It is the third generation of high-performance fibers following carbon fiber and aramid. The specific strength of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber is equivalent to 15 times that of high-quality steel wire, 1.8 times that of carbon fiber, and 1.6 times that of aramid, making it the fiber with the highest specific strength and specific modulus among industrialized high-performance fibers today.

The country has included UHMWPE in the "List of Critical Materials" in the "Action Plan for High-Quality Development of the New Materials Industry (2025-2027)," aiming for the domestic replacement rate of high-end fibers to exceed 40% by the end of 2025. It will be supported by financial and tax subsidies, with local support for intelligent transformation. Graded certification will be initiated, and military-grade orders are expected to increase by 28%. Starting from July 2024, export controls will lead to a 15% decrease in the export volume of bulletproof fibers, but the unit price will rise to USD 18,000 per ton (an increase of 22%), with some products entering the European market.

In the first half of 2025, the domestic market size is projected to reach 980 million yuan (a year-on-year increase of 7.2%). The North China region accounts for 55% of production capacity, while East China holds 70% of high-end production capacity. The central and western regions are undertaking transfers (Pujie Energy Chemical's 40,000-ton project is set to be put into operation). It is expected that by the end of 2025, the national production capacity will exceed 600,000 tons, with a self-sufficiency rate of 60%. China's production capacity will account for 66% of the global total, and the 140,000-ton project by Puking Crystal will represent 20% of the domestic high-end market.

Domestic enterprises are accelerating towards high-end development: Lianhong Xinke Technology has been validated by Tesla, Henghui Security plans to expand its bulletproof fiber production capacity by 12,000 tons (Phase I scheduled for production in September 2025) and is expanding into Europe, Nanshan Zhishang is collaborating with Tesla in the humanoid robot field, and Zhongxi New Materials has broken the monopoly of Japan and South Korea. International capital, such as Asahi Kasei, is collaborating on the research and development of medical materials, and there are five financing rounds exceeding 100 million yuan expected in the first half of 2025.

Significant differentiation in supply and demand: Traditional industrial demand growth is at 3%, while military industry (+18%), battery separators (+25%), and modified materials for photovoltaic adhesive films (monthly average +15%) show high growth. Fibers, separator materials, and high-end injection molded products are becoming the "new three driving forces." Price polarization: General-grade gross profit margin is less than 15%, while high-end semiconductor/medical-grade prices are 120,000-150,000 yuan/ton, with medical-grade gross profit margins exceeding 40%.

For domestically produced products with a molecular weight of over 15 million: Donghua University's gel spinning process increases fiber strength by 15% and reduces costs by 20%. They have also developed low-temperature-resistant particles and antibacterial prosthetic materials. Internationally, 3M's nano materials are used in Apple Watches, achieving a tensile strength of 500 MPa.

Domestic industry standards will force a high-end transformation: in the second half of 2025, military orders are expected to increase by 20,000 tons, and demand for battery separators will increase by more than 20%. Internationally, Chinese companies are participating in global competition, and the global market size is expected to reach $2.124 billion by 2031, with China expected to account for 40%.

In the future, with the release of new production capacity in 2026, the capacity utilization rate may further decline to 65%. Competition in the low-end market will intensify, while high-end products will still be in short supply. Emerging fields such as humanoid robots and semiconductor chip filter materials will become growth points for demand, driving products towards high performance and functionality. Policy support and technological breakthroughs will also help domestic companies like Yulong Petrochemical enhance their competitiveness in the high-end market, accelerating domestic substitution to reduce reliance on imports.

The vitality of an enterprise lies in continuous innovation. This requires not only focusing on breakthroughs in core technology but also courageously exploring diversified applications of products.