new materials "woven" into the chang'e-6 lunar flag, exploring the new industry behind the "chinese red"
2024-08-30
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this article is reproduced from [people's daily];
original title: new materials "woven" into the chang'e 6 lunar flag, reporters visited the new industry behind the "chinese red"
basalt, transformed into new fiber, opens up a new track (people's eye·strategic industry)
figure 1: on june 4, the five-star red flag was unfurled on the chang'e-6 probe that landed on the far side of the moon (data photo). photo provided by the national space administration figure 2: a bicycle frame made of basalt fiber composite materials produced by a company. photo by zhu xuelu figure 3: employees of sichuan qianyi composite materials co., ltd. work in the wire drawing workshop. photo by zhou songlin figure 4: basalt mine in wei county, hebei province. photo by wu diansen
introduction
on june 4, the five-star red flag carried by the chang'e-6 lander was successfully unfurled on the far side of the moon. this is the first time that china has independently and dynamically displayed its national flag on the far side of the moon. the flag weighs only 11.3 grams, less than two 1-yuan coins, but is made of a kind of stone - basalt.
this news from 380,000 kilometers away made two participants in the basalt fiber industry excited:
"the basalt used to make the national flag comes from wei county, hebei province, which is the stone produced by our company." zhu zhaochun, the person in charge of wei county xinyuan basalt mining co., ltd., could not hide his pride;
"basalt products have been developed and produced for many years, but have always been little known. this application is the most famous one." qin guangling, deputy general manager of jilin tongxin basalt technology co., ltd., was very excited.
the silk thread used in the chang'e-6 lunar flag is a new type of high-performance material called basalt fiber. it is made by crushing natural basalt blocks, melting them at high temperatures, and then drawing them into fibers, with a diameter of only 1/3 of a human hair.
"basalt fiber has the characteristics of light weight, high strength, corrosion resistance, green and low carbon, and can withstand temperatures from minus 269 degrees celsius to plus 700 degrees celsius, which further demonstrates its unique value." said liu jiaqi, academician of the chinese academy of sciences and former director of the institute of geology of the chinese academy of sciences.
the new materials industry is a strategic and basic industry, and also a key area of high-tech competition. in february 2013, the national development and reform commission issued the "guidelines for key products and services of strategic emerging industries", which listed continuous basalt fiber as a key high-performance fiber material for development. in december 2023, the ministry of industry and information technology issued the "guidelines for the first batch application demonstration of key new materials (2024 edition)", and basalt fiber cloth was listed as a key strategic material.
the "decision" of the third plenary session of the 20th cpc central committee proposed to improve the development policies and governance systems for strategic industries such as new-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, aerospace, new energy, new materials, high-end equipment, biomedicine, and quantum technology.
how to draw stone into silk? as a new material, how to expand the application scenarios of basalt fiber and open up a new track for industrial development? recently, the reporter visited hebei, hubei, sichuan and other places.
turning stone into silk
crushing, melting, drawing...basalt is transformed into a high-performance fiber as thin as 5 microns, light and strong.
driving to dayuejia mountain in chenjiawa township, wei county, hebei province, you can see layers of columnar rocks about one person high, which are gilded by the sunlight, as if the mountain is covered with scales.
"this is the true appearance of basalt, which has abundant reserves in our country," said liu jiaqi.
following the sound of machines, we walked into the factory of weixian xinyuan basalt mining co., ltd. here, the raw ore goes through three crushing processes and then enters a three-story high stone crusher, where magnetic separation, gravity separation and other methods are used to select qualified stones, which are then bagged and sealed.
pointing at the stone crushing and sorting machine, zhu zhaochun was quite proud: this is a special equipment developed independently by us. through technological transformation, we have obtained 4 utility model patents.
basalt deposits vary greatly, and homogenizing the raw materials is a challenge in making fibers. "even in the same mining area, the amount of chemical elements contained in the ore may be different if they are tens of meters apart," liu jiaqi said. only basalt raw materials with the right chemical composition can be made into fibers.
for more than 10 years, zhu zhaochun has focused on this technology and worked hard to improve the homogenization level of raw materials. the stone crusher is one of the results.
xinyuan company not only develops equipment, but also conducts strict testing. xinyuan company conducts comprehensive testing on more than 20 indicators such as calcium oxide and magnesium oxide content of the ore leaving the factory. "if any indicator does not meet the requirements, the ore may not be able to be drawn into wire," said zhu zhaochun.
the basalt stone used in the chang'e-6 lunar flag was produced by xinyuan company. xinyuan company processes about 100,000 tons of basalt stone per year, and only 1/10 of it can be used to make basalt fiber. the average price of these stones is 600 yuan per ton, which is three times the price of paving stones.
liu jiaqi admitted that due to the homogenization requirements, there are not many manufacturers that can provide downstream basalt fiber manufacturers with a stable supply of stone materials. some research institutes are continuously working on the fiber-forming mechanism and raw material formula of basalt fiber. in the future, it is expected that more types of basalt stone materials will be used according to the different performance requirements of downstream enterprises for products such as corrosion resistance and high and low temperature resistance.
how does stone become silk?
more than 1,000 kilometers south of weixian, the reporter came to huierjie new materials technology co., ltd. in xiangyang, hubei. the basalt fiber used in the chang'e-6 lunar national flag was produced here.
as you enter the factory, you will be overwhelmed by the heat. in the melting furnace, at a high temperature of 1450 to 1500 degrees celsius, the basalt material turns into lava. then, the lava passes through the platinum-rhodium alloy plate and is pulled by the wire drawing machine at high speed, forming hundreds of golden brown silk threads, pouring down and winding into strands.
temperature control is a technical challenge in basalt drawing process. zhang daolin, president of basalt fiber branch of china chemical fiber industry association, said that just like making "pulled sweet potato", the temperature of syrup should be controlled well. if it is too thin or too thick, it will not be able to be "pulled", and the same is true for basalt fiber drawing process.
after long-term technological accumulation, the basalt fiber produced by huierjie company has a diameter of only 5 microns and each fiber can reach 10,000 meters in length.
5 microns is a "special training" for huierjie company by the aerospace industry.
the chang'e-6 lunar flag was developed by wuhan textile university and other enterprises and units such as huierjie company. previously, the chang'e-5 lunar flag used a new composite material mainly made of aramid. the relevant technology is relatively mature. why did chang'e-6 take a different approach?
"during its flight to the moon, orbiting the moon, and landing on the moon, chang'e-6 will have to endure tests such as repeated alternations of high and low temperatures. the use of basalt fiber is the key to improving the material performance of the national flag. at the same time, the use of basalt, which has a similar chemical composition to the lunar soil, is also an exploration of the in-situ utilization of lunar resources." cao genyang, a member of the chang'e-6 lunar national flag development team and a professor at wuhan textile university, said that the lunar national flag must be both thin and soft, and strong and tough, which requires finer basalt fiber.
in 2020, the lunar flag development team of wuhan textile university started cooperation with huierjie company. at that time, the diameter of basalt fiber that could be stably pulled out in the industry was generally above 10 microns.
"in order to pull out thinner wires, the diameter and number of holes in the leak plate, the size of the kiln body, the control temperature, etc. all need to be redesigned," said guo qing, technical director of huierjie company.
during the critical period of r&d, the team's researchers moved the laboratory into the factory, lived and ate in the company, and often discussed a technical detail until late at night... this kind of life lasted for more than a year.
the inner cavity structure of the leak plate is the core technology of the enterprise. the lunar national flag development team proposed the intention to improve the design, which made the enterprise staff puzzled for a while.
the company reported this to the management, who immediately made the decision: "all technical details will be made public to the team, as long as they can weave the five-star red flag that will go to the moon!"
"unfolded! unfolded!" when the image of the chang'e-6 lunar national flag unfolding appeared on the tv screen, warm applause broke out in the conference room that had witnessed the scientific researchers' countless days and nights of hard work.
technological innovation creates development advantages. huierjie has a higher-end product - ordinary basalt fiber costs 15,000 yuan per ton, while the new 5-micron basalt fiber product costs 60,000 to 70,000 yuan per ton.
"thinner and lighter threads can not only be sold at high prices, but will also lead to the emergence of new products and new applications," said guo qing.
industry moves towards "new"
pipeline strength increased 50 times, automobile parts weight reduced 20%...basalt fiber application scenarios continue to expand
it feels like pure cotton jeans to the touch; when it is set on fire, the flames "lick" it and quickly go out. this flame-retardant and high-temperature resistant basalt fiber fabric is a new product developed by wuhan yudahua textile and garment group co., ltd.
the fabric came into being as a result of joint research between schools and enterprises.
basalt fiber has excellent heat insulation and radiation resistance, and can withstand the harsh environment of the lunar surface. however, it is an inorganic fiber with a smooth surface and brittleness, making it difficult to spin ultra-fine filaments, yarns, weave, and create high-fastness colors.
yudahua company cooperated with wuhan textile university to study how to integrate basalt fiber with viscose fiber, etc., and made breakthroughs in many key technologies of basalt yarn production.
in october 2023, after the sample of the chang'e-6 lunar national flag was delivered, the scientific research team began to look for the "soil" for the industrial landing of the project technology, hoping to guide the further development of the high-performance fiber industry.
in the past, basalt crushed stone was widely used as paving stone. in recent years, basalt fiber has been used in road reinforcement and building structure reinforcement. however, as a high-performance fiber, its potential in industrial application has not yet been fully realized.
hard basalt stone can be turned into soft textile raw materials, and many clothing companies have smelled business opportunities.
in march this year, a 1.5 square meter sample of fabric produced by yudahua was placed in the conference room of wuhan zihecheng garment co., ltd. li yulian, chairman of zihecheng, picked up the sample and asked more than 10 designers: "what can be done with this piece of fabric?"
fire suits, flight suits, power work clothes...ideas come one after another.
having been deeply involved in the professional clothing industry for 20 years, li yulian realized that basalt composite yarn would pry open a large market in the industry, and she couldn't wait. "hurry up!" this has almost become her mantra.
after a series of innovative designs, nearly ten types of luggage and clothing products produced by zihecheng company, using basalt fiber as the main material, have been finalized and are ready to be launched on the market.
breakthroughs in ultrafine basalt fiber drawing, spinning and coloring technologies have brought more room for imagination for the development of the basalt fiber industry.
"not only textile and clothing companies, but also the automotive, aviation, medical and other industries are following up and paying attention." cao genyang said.
in the vast space, spacecraft enhanced components adapt to radiation, high and low temperature environments; on the blue sea, ecologically farmed oyster racks help farmers increase their income, and marine cages can withstand a level 12 typhoon; in the desert gobi, wind turbine blades and photovoltaic brackets have a longer service life and are more durable; in cities and villages, building composite reinforcements and cable protective layers enter daily life... the application scenarios of basalt fiber are constantly expanding.
although there are many types of basalt fiber products, they are not strong, and many companies are still competing in the fields of construction and transportation, resulting in homogeneous application scenarios and low added value. some companies are striving to break through and create new advantages with new products.
a basalt fiber composite pipe is half the weight of a plastic pipe, 50 times stronger, has a service life of more than 50 years, and can reduce costs by more than 30%. this is a new product developed by yuandan new materials technology (guang'an) co., ltd. zhang xuefeng, general manager of the company, said that relying on the toughness of basalt fiber materials, the connecting pipe can withstand a maximum displacement of 15 degrees, greatly reducing the cost of subsequent maintenance. the product started trial production in may this year, and the output value is expected to exceed 50 million yuan by the end of the year.
the application of basalt fiber in the automotive industry is a track that jilin tongxin basalt technology co., ltd. has always focused on. through school-enterprise cooperation and other means, tongxin has successfully developed automotive leaf springs and other products using basalt fiber composite materials.
research and development is not easy. "we invested nearly 100 million yuan just to develop automobile leaf springs," said qin guangling.
is it worth it? "it's worth it!" qin guangling answered simply: the domestic super-large-scale market has strong consumer demand and diverse levels. although the initial investment is huge, it can provide high-quality products to the vast market and drive the development and quality improvement of enterprises.
recently, many companies have come to tongxin company for its r&d products and expressed their intention to cooperate.
in april this year, china first automobile group co., ltd. released a new model, which was the first in china to introduce basalt fiber into the automobile industry on a large scale. some of the interior parts of this car are made of basalt fiber composite materials, which were jointly developed by tongxin company and other companies and faw. the application of new materials has reduced the weight of the parts by more than 20% while maintaining the original performance, and has the advantage of low odor.
"according to estimates by industry experts, by 2030, the automotive industry's basalt fiber consumption is expected to reach 320,000 tons, with an output value of 8.4 billion yuan, which can support a downstream parts market capacity of more than 47 billion yuan," said qin guangling.
technology climbs to a higher level
the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation has led to my country's basalt fiber patent applications and output accounting for more than 60% of the world's total
the development of basalt fiber industry did not start early in my country: at the beginning of this century, my country built the first single-furnace spinning device, and then began to move towards industrialization, which was about 20 years later than that of foreign countries.
today, my country has become the country with the largest production of basalt fiber. zhang daolin introduced that in 2023, my country's basalt fiber production will be about 30,000 tons, accounting for about 75% of the world's production, and the export volume will reach 9,000 tons. since 2016, the export volume has been among the highest in the world for many years.
behind this is the active practice of various regions in promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation.
to expand and strengthen the basalt fiber industry, sichuan took the lead in issuing an industrial development plan and a series of guiding documents to support industrial development. at present, sichuan has initially formed a complete basalt fiber industry chain from raw silk, composite materials to application products.
dazhou city and guang'an huaying city, two resource-based cities located in mountainous areas, both regard the development of basalt fiber industry as an important track to seek "new" changes and accumulate strength for the future.
walking into sichuan qianyi composite materials co., ltd. in huaying city, the intelligent pool kiln drawing production line operates in an orderly manner, with an annual output of 3,500 tons of basalt fiber. compared with traditional crucible drawing or combined furnace drawing, the quality of pool kiln drawing is more stable.
sichuan pavok mineral fiber products group co., ltd. is the parent company of qianyi company. liu yifeng, chairman of the group, used the word "熬" to summarize his eight years of experience in exploring pool kiln wire drawing technology.
in 2016, the sales volume of basalt wool products produced by pavok group increased significantly, and the revenue was considerable. liu yifeng has always been optimistic about the development prospects of the basalt fiber industry and invested a large amount of money in the research and development of basalt fiber pool kiln drawing technology.
during the first ignition test, four platinum-rhodium alloy leak plates were burned in one morning, resulting in a direct loss of more than 500,000 yuan. the technician asked, "are you going to install new plates?" liu yifeng smiled bitterly, "it's like drilling a hole in the fire. our heads are already in there, so don't cherish our ears!"
it is difficult for an enterprise to tackle common technologies in the industry alone. liu yifeng is not alone on the road of exploration.
in february 2020, guang'an city established the sichuan basalt fiber new materials research institute (innovation center), with a board of directors composed of guang'an vocational and technical college, guang'an science and technology bureau and pavko group, which is responsible for determining the main direction of industry development, making decisions on scientific research projects, etc.
strengthen the leading role of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, and promote enterprise-led integration of industry, academia and research innovation.
how to match the raw materials to achieve high modulus in the pool kiln drawing production? this is a common problem in the industry raised by the pavoco group. after more than a year of research and development, a raw material formula is currently being piloted. basalt fiber made according to this formula can withstand a weight of more than 10,000 kilograms per square centimeter.
"we are tackling 48 scientific research projects, including common key technologies and equipment systems." yang zhongjia, deputy director of sichuan basalt fiber new materials research institute (innovation center), said that the institute has formed a scientific research strategic alliance with peking university, tsinghua university, beijing institute of technology, beijing university of aeronautics and astronautics, china university of geosciences, and the chinese academy of sciences, and supports key enterprises to establish strategic cooperation with 16 universities.
in july 2021, xiamen fubao composite materials co., ltd. traveled nearly 1,700 kilometers to dazhou and established sichuan hengyao composite materials technology co., ltd. it took only half a year from learning about the new material basalt fiber to deciding to build a factory in dazhou.
what attracted them to dazhou was not only the rich local basalt resources and complete upstream supporting facilities, but also the solid intellectual support.
in the warehouse, rows of bicycle frames are neatly stacked. in xiamen, fubao's main product is carbon fiber bicycle frames, while this new product in dazhou, which adds basalt fiber prepreg, has been welcomed by domestic and foreign markets since its launch.
"we help companies develop prepreg materials, which not only improves the performance of the frame but also saves 20% of the cost. now, the research institute and companies are iterating and upgrading the prepreg materials," said kang sufang, senior engineer of dazhou basalt fiber industry research institute.
enterprises set the problems, and the research team solves them. "i have met all 14 researchers from the institute. they often come to enterprises to ask about their needs and help solve technical problems," said li junzhi, technical director of hengyao company.
in 2023, dazhou and the sichuan provincial department of science and technology will jointly build the sichuan key laboratory of basalt fiber and composite materials to further strengthen their scientific research service capabilities.
there is intellectual support, as well as real money. dazhou has introduced a series of policies to support the development of the basalt fiber industry: 2 million yuan is invested annually to support the implementation of major basic research and applied basic research projects; 20% of the investment amount is supported for major scientific and technological infrastructure projects; a one-time reward of 500,000 yuan is given to enterprises that are recognized as high-tech enterprises for the first time... so far, 23 basalt fiber production enterprises in dazhou have received a total of 38.25 million yuan in various support funds.
the key to strengthening the basalt fiber industry lies in innovation.
according to statistics, as of september 2023, the number of basalt fiber patents (including applications) in the world is more than 13,000, of which my country has more than 8,600, accounting for 66%; the number of authorized basalt fiber patents in the world is more than 10,000, of which my country has more than 3,800, accounting for 37%.
there is no end to innovation and tackling key problems. in the extraterrestrial fiber laboratory of donghua university in shanghai, the lunar soil samples brought back by chang'e 5 are being used for fiber drawing experiments in a simulated lunar environment with no oxygen, microgravity, and low pressure.
"the chemical composition of lunar soil is similar to that of basalt. by drawing on the preparation technology of basalt fibers, fibers drawn from lunar soil are expected to become construction materials for future lunar bases and meet the needs of in-situ material collection," said zhu meifang, an academician of the chinese academy of sciences and dean of the school of materials science and engineering at donghua university.
that will be another magnificent dream about basalt fiber.
