Hyosung Advanced Material is the first company in South Korea to successfully develop high-performance carbon fiber. In May 2013, Hyosung Advanced Material completed a plant in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, with an annual output of 2,000 tons. Hyoseong Corporation announced in October 2022 that it successfully developed ultra-high strength carbon fiber H3065 (T-1000 grade), which reportedly has a tensile strength and elasticity of no less than 6.4GPa and 295GPa, respectively. The research began as part of the Ultra-High Strength Carbon Fiber Development Program that began in August 2017, with the participation of South Korea's Defense Development Agency (ADD) and the Institute for Civil-Military Technology Cooperation (ICMTC), alongside investments from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). This time, the development of H3085 carbon fiber will further expand the application field of Hyosung carbon fiber.
Hyosung produces carbon fiber H2550 (tensile strength: 5.5 GPa/ elasticity: 250 GPa, T-700 grade), which is mainly used in hydrogen fuel tanks, cable cores, photovoltaic insulation, and sports, and its tensile strength is 10 times that of steel. In contrast, the newly developed carbon fiber, which has 14 times the tensile strength of steel, can be used in various fields such as aerospace and defense to manufacture aircraft fuselages/parts and satellites among others.
T-1000 grade carbon fiber requires highly complex technologies involving raw material polymerization, radiation, elasticity and other aspects. The successful development of H3065 carbon fiber makes South Korea the third country to develop ultra-high strength carbon fiber after the United States and Japan, and it will make a great contribution to the development of the country's carbon fiber industry.
South Korea has relied on imported materials to make carbon fiber for applications in the aerospace and defense sectors. According to relevant industry observers, the development of H3065 carbon fiber means Hyosung Advanced Materials is one step closer to its goal of becoming one of the world's top three in the carbon fiber industry and gaining solid competitiveness in the industry.
According to Japan's Fuji Economic Research Institute, the global PAN-based carbon fiber market is expected to grow by 10% (average annual rate) from 85,790 tons in 2021 to reach about 327,430 tons in 2035. As for the use of carbon fiber in the global market, as of 2021, wind turbine blades (39%) topped the list, followed by aviation (15%) sports/leisure (12%), and automotive (7%). Hyosung has been making the product at its factory in Jeonju, South Korea, since 2013. The company plans to invest 1 trillion won to increase the plant's production capacity to 24,000 tons/year by 2028. Currently, the company is in the process of the third phase of expansion (from 6500 tons/year to 9000 tons/year).
