China unveils world's strongest ultra-high-strength carbon fiber

China on Wednesday unveiled an independently developed T1200-grade ultra-high-strength carbon fiber, the world's strongest of its kind, designed for use in aerospace and other advanced industries.

The T1200 carbon fiber, developed by state-owned China National Building Material Group, has entered industrial production with an annual capacity of hundreds of tonnes, making China the first country to achieve mass production at this strength level.

Lightweight and highly durable, the fiber has a diameter less than one-tenth that of a human hair, a density about one-quarter that of steel and a tensile strength roughly 10 times higher than steel. The material is expected to be used in sectors including aerospace, low-altitude aviation and humanoid robotics.

China has previously developed carbon fiber grades ranging from T300 to T1000, each representing progressively higher strength. The newly released T1200 marks the latest step in that progression. The number "1200" indicates the fiber's strength level.

Carbon fiber composites are widely used as structural materials in spacecraft because of their high strength-to-weight ratio. China's commercial space company Welight Technology has developed a liquid rocket, "Weiguang-1," whose body structure is about 90% made of carbon-fiber composites, reducing weight by 25–30% compared with metal designs.

Reducing spacecraft weight is a key approach to lowering launch costs in the commercial space industry, particularly as companies deploy large satellite constellations, where lightweight materials play an important role.