CHINESE DEVELOPMENTS IN ADVANCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS: THE STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP04T00447R000200860001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 34
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 19, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 1, 1985
• Content Type: REPORT

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Directorate of Secret
Intelligence
Chinese Developments in
Advanced Composite Materials:
The Strategic Implications
Secret
EA 85-10131
July 1985
Copy 2 8 0
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Directorate of Secret
Intelligence
Chinese Developments in
Advanced Composite Materials:
The Strategic Implications
This report was prepared by ~ Office of
East Asian Analysis. Comments and queries are
welcome and may be directed to the Chief, China
Division, OEA,
Secret
EA 85-10131
July 1985
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Secret
Overview
information available
as of 21 June 1985
was used in this report.
Chinese Developments in
Advanced Composite Materials:
The Strategic Implications
China has been engaged since at least 1979 in a major effort to establish an
advanced composite materials industry-a capability that could signifi-
cantly enhance its design and development of sophisticated weaponry.
Specifically, advanced composites can provide China:
? Performance advantages for its intermediate-range and intercontinental
ballistic missiles.
? Improved targeting accuracy of weapon reentry vehicles.
? Broad application in space-related structures.
? Higher performance and load-carrying capacities for fighter aircraft and
helicopters.
? More advanced centrifuges for processing weapons-grade uranium.
? New dimensions in the design of deep submersibles for antisubmarine
warfare.
The application of advanced composites to the development of these and
other weapon systems in China has been the primary motivation for
China's seeking rapid development of this technology. We believe that
Beijing's top priority for using advanced composites, however, is to improve
the targeting accuracy of its weapon reentry vehicles and to apply these
high-strength, lightweight materials to fabrication of solid-propellant
rocket motor casings in order to increase the range, throw weight, and
performance characteristics of a new series of land-based and sea-based
intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
For the past five years, the Chinese have been systematically studying
advanced composite systems-fibers and binders-with the intent of
achieving in their laboratories what world industry leaders are introducing
into production. At the same time, China's military materials research
facilities have been engaged in an unprecedented effort to acquire,
replicate, and apply foreign-made composite materials, structural materi-
als, and techniques to the fabrication of weapon system components. China
has approached and, in some instances, met these objectives and is now
prepared to import the necessary manufacturing technology to achieve
volume production. .
Carbon-carbon composite material, which is used for the fabrication of
highly accurate weapon reentry vehicles, has been given greater emphasis
in China's research effort than any other area of composite technology. We
believe that China is capable of developing a carbon-carbon composite that
is comparable to material used in weapon reentry vehicle nosetips being
fabricated in the United States.
iii Secret
EA 85-10131
July 1985
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China's rapid progress in carbon-carbon research can be attributed to
information that has been made available to.Chinese scientists who have
attended international symposiums on this subject. At the same time,
China's carbon-carbon specialists have shown persistence in their efforts to
acquire-both legally and illegally-various composite materials manufac-
turing machinery and US-made materials in particular that they have
openly acknowledged would be duplicated. China also has benefited from
the Sino-US student exchange program, which from 1980-82 included one
of the country's top experts on carbon-carbon research and an individual
who was clearly involved in the development of composite materials for
China's ballistic missile and space programs.
We believe that similar high-priority attention is being given to the
acquisition of technology and equipment to support the development and
serial manufacture of rocket motor casings for China's land-based variant
of the CSS-NX-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile.
When China can achieve the capability to develop and apply lightweight
composite materials depends on how rapidly and extensively advanced
composite materials technology, fabrication equipment, and manufacturing
processes are introduced and absorbed. If Bejing is successful in obtaining
one or more of the composite fiber and resin material production lines now
being negotiated with firms in COCOM and non-COCOM member
countries, startup production could begin within two years after procure-
ment. If China is forced to continue its covert acquisition of composite
materials and the manufacturing technology, we believe it will be three to
four years before full production is reached. The delay arises from the
complexities of arranging covert purchases and the fact that support from
the supplying firms-company technicians assisting in installation, pilot
production, and training the Chinese work force-is not normally as
thorough in covert transactions as in normal commercial deals.
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In our view, the priority China clearly is giving to obtaining foreign
assistance for its composite materials expansion effort suggests that it is
unlikely to rely solely on domestic resources. Should China choose to forgo
either overt or covert attempts to obtain foreign expertise, we believe that it
would take five to eight years to meet its domestic requirements. In any
event, China will have to maintain strict quality control standards both in
materials production and in application methods-an area that has
plagued the Chinese. manufacturing industry in general.
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Scope Note This paper provides a comprehensive and technical review of China's
development of advanced composite materials over the past five years.
(This term advanced composite generally implies the use of high-strength
reinforcements of carbon, graphite, or an aramid in combination with a
matrix material.) It compares China's achievements in the laboratory with
Western state-of-the-art processes. The paper discusses China's current
negotiations for advanced composite materials, manufacturing equipment
and technology and evaluates the strategic implications of China's entry
into the advanced composite materials field-these materials are used for
weapon reentry. vehicles, solid-propellant rocket motor casings, space
system structures, advanced aircraft, and helicopter components. Finally, it
identifies the major Chinese research institutes in this field and describes
their missions and work.
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Structure Development and Application 19
China: Selected Composite Materials/Structures Research and 23
Development Facilities
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Chinese Developments in
Advanced Composite Materials:
The Strategic Implications F_
A priority goal in China's science and technology
planning is to gain a foothold in new or emerging
technologies. No other field, with the exception of
electronics, is more important to China's space age
objectives than material sciences. Key within this
high-technology field are advanced composites-
materials that are.used to form lightweight, high-
strength components and structures for weapon reen-
try vehicles, solid-propellant rocket motor casings,
satellite platforms, high-speed and high-performance
aircraft, helicopter parts, and various other items
having aerospace, land-based, or undersea applica-
tions.
Because of their widespread application in advanced
weapon system design and manufacture, the technol-
ogies and equipment to produce modern composite
materials are tightly controlled by COCOM regula-
tions. China, nevertheless, has been promoting a
systematic study of various advanced composite sys-
tems-fibers and binders-over the past five years,
with the intent of achieving in the laboratory what
advanced countries were introducing into production.
At the same time, China's military materials research
facilities have been engaged in an unprecedented
effort to acquire, duplicate, and implement foreign
design, development, and manufacturing techniques
needed to fabricate weapon system structures using
advanced composite materials.' China has approached
and, in some instances, met these research objectives
and is now prepared to import the necessary manufac-
turing technology to achieve volume production.
Advanced composites development has been frequent-
ly cited by the Beijing leadership as one of China's
key science and technology (S&T) objectives along
' See appendix A for a list of Chinese institutes engaged in
composite materials R&D and their specific research functions.
with microelectronics, computers, fiber optics, bio-
technology, robotics, nuclear energy, and ocean sci-
ences. In fact, the modernization of composite materi-
als was designated a national goal by the Chinese
Government in 1980, several years before China's
overall S&T objectives were officially announced.
Leading Chinese composite specialists also have
voiced the belief that, during the remainder of this 25X1
century, composite materials would be in the forefront
of international materials science developments.2F__~
The urgency of the Chinese program is reflected in
the recent establishment of several major specialty
organizations to deal specifically in the research,
development, and manufacture of advanced composite
materials. In October 1984, the Dalian New Materi-
als Development Corporation was established to de-
velop advanced composite materials through coopera-
tion with foreign firms by utilizing foreign investment
and importing advanced technologies. Materials to be
developed by the corporation include metal-based and
organic-based composites, glass epoxies, and carbon,
graphite, borons, and Kevlar aramid fibers.'
The Chinese press announced plans in November
1984 to construct a chemical materials experimental
base in Shanghai. Upon completion, the base will
train professionals in applying laboratory research to
industrial production. It will also function as a clear-
inghouse for imported technology and equipment used
in manufacturing advanced composite materials and
ceramics. Also in late 1984, the Beijing Aviation
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College began publication of a Journal of Composite
Materials to exchange the newest theoretical findings
and experiments relating to composite materials re-
search and to promote the development and applica-
tion of composite materials in China.
Chinese composite materials specialists reportedly
hope that manufacturing equipment purchased
abroad will enable Chinese plants to manufacture
fiber composite products for export to generate for-
eign exchange for these facilities. At the same time,
the Chinese are likely to use interest in such commer-
cial production as a guise for acquiring composite
technology that might otherwise be restricted. To
stimulate any commercial application of advanced
composites, however, China must first determine the
cost advantages in design capabilities and reduction in
weight of this material so that they can become
competitive with metallic material alternatives.
strong candidate for extensive application of high-
strength, lightweight reinforcing fibers such as a
Kevlar-equivalent aramid fiber. Kevlar, along with
carbon fibers and glass fibers, is used in the US
production of solid-propellant rocket motor casings
(see figure 2). There is no convincing evidence that the
Chinese are using advanced composites to produce the
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Despite potential civilian applications, military con-
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siderations will remain the driving force in China's
efforts to move into this new technology.
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China in 1979 gave
the military sector top priority in the acquisition of
composite materials in support of ongoing programs,
and the research and development program was sub-
ordinated to the powerful National Defense Science,
Technology, and Industry Commission (NDSTIC).
China's require-
ment for advanced composite materials and related
manufacturing technologies covers a broad spectrum
of military applications, particularly in the aerospace
field-an area that one Chinese defense engineer
recently acknowledged had no civilian application.
It is
possible that both Lantian and the NDSTIC's Chang-
sha Institute of Technology (CIT) can produce fiber-
glass-filament-wound rocket motor casings and may
already be fabricating these types of structures for
materials testing and evaluation. Liu Deshen, the
current director of the SNMTI, reportedly was a
professor at CIT specializing in filament winding of
rocket motor casings when China was cooperating
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Solid-Propellant Ballistic Missiles
China's land-based variant of the CSS-NX-3
submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a
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Figure 2
Composite Application in US Solid-
Propellant Ballistic Missiles
Aluminum monocoque
Peacekeeper
Graphite
SICBM
Nozzle Extendable Exit Cone
2-D carbon-carbon
Peacekeeper
Motor Case
Glass composite
Polaris
Poseidon
Aramid composite
Trident I
Pershing II
Peacekeeper
Graphite composite
Space Shuttle SRM-FWC
Trident 11
SICBM
Nozzle Throat
Silica phenolic
Poseidon
Graphite phenolic
Polaris A-2
Poseidon
ATJ graphite
Minuteman
Pershing II
3-D carbon-carbon
Peacekeeper
Trident 11 (ITE)
SICBM (ITE)
Nozzle Exit Cone
Graphite phenolic
Minuteman
Polaris A-3
Poseidon
Carbon phenolic
Poseidon
Trident I
Pershing 11
2-D carbon-carbon phenolic
Peacekeeper
Trident II
3-D carbon-carbon
Trident II
SICBM
with the Soviets. We believe that Liu may now be
applying his early experience to fabricate solid-propel-
lant motor casings made of a Kevlar-equivalent com-
posite material as well.
Weapon Reentry Vehicles
China's composite materials specialists have shown a
strong interest in, and keen understanding of, carbon-
carbon composites and their ability to withstand the
harsh environment found within a rocket nozzle or at
the tip of a high-performance strategic missile reentry
vehicle (see figure 3). The Beijing Research Institute
of Material Technology (BRIMT), subordinate to
China's Ministry of Astronautics Industry (MOAI), is
the country's leading research institution for weapon
reentry vehicle and space system structural design
and the principal authority on carbon-carbon materi-
als.
Space Satellite Systems
The Chinese are anxious to apply composite materials
to the design and fabrication of space satellites but,
unlike Western satellite manufacturers, are not yet
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Figure 4. Carbon fiber support truss in US-
designed application technology satellite r
using this material in existing systems (see figure 4).
While acknowledging that they have the technology
to produce carbon-fiber-rein forced plastics applicable
to satellite systems design, the Chinese also admit
having no experience in how it would fare in space
China has shown continuing interest in applying
composite structures to satellite design. Chinese scien-
tists have written several articles concerning vibration
problems in satellites using composite structures and
the benefits and drawbacks of using certain types of
composite materials. Composite specialists associated
with the Beijing Institute of Aeronautics (BIA), for
example, have shown specific interest in using com-
posite materials for protecting satellites against laser
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In mid-1984, Chinese space officials representing
MOAI's Chinese Academy of Space Technology
(CAST) invited a US expert on composite materials
and spacecraft engineering to give a series of lectures
on composite materials at facilities located in Beijing
and Xian. The discussions included the theory of
laminates, manufacturing processes, applications, fu-
ture trends, and advanced composite application in
spacecraft structures and communication satellites.
The Chinese are also seeking a transfer of composite
materials technology relating to spacecraft applica-
tion as part of the direct broadcast satellite package
that is being negotiated with several US and West
German firms.
Aircraft Structures
The use of composite materials in aircraft design has
been a priority consideration in China for more than a
decade (see figure 5). Development of carbon-fiber-
reinforced blades for aircraft engines began in 1969,
and the study of composite materials for aircraft
components followed shortly thereafter. In 1975, the
first non-load-bearing, carbon-fiber-reinforced starter
box cap was installed for flight-testing. This was
followed in 1978 with testing of an air induct wall
plate using a composite hybrid of carbon and glass
fiber. Since 1978, China's aviation specialists have
turned increasingly to the West for technology and
equipment to foster aircraft composite component
design ambitions.
China is particularly interested in US composite
technology for improving the performance capabilities
of its domestically produced aircraft.
tion of composite materials technology was important
for reducing the structural weight of China's aircraft,
which were equipped with engines having a very low
thrust-to-weight ratio.
Figure 5
Gr-Ep Composites on a
US-Made AV-8B
Composites
Other
Flap slot door
The Chinese also have
expressed an interest in designing an aircraft com-
prised solely of composite materials
China also is looking to Sweden for composite materi-
als technology applicable to the aviation industry. In
1982 an S&T exchange program was formalized
between the two countries that allowed Chinese tech-
nicians to receive training in Sweden involving air-
craft application of composite technology. In addition,
the Chinese have been negotiating with companies in
the Netherlands and Italy for composite technology.
Discussions with the Netherlands included a visit to
Fokker's Hoogeyeen plant, which is producing com-
posite structures for the F-16 aircraft. Negotiations
with Italy included a visit to China early this year by
a team of composite fiber and avionic experts from
(full span)
Lid fence
Aileron
Seals
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Figure 6. Distribution of com-
posite materials on the Chinese
coproduced Dauphine helicop-
the aerospace firm Aeritalia, who were to hold discus-
sions with Chinese aviation officials on aircraft
design.
Composite structural design for China's aircraft in-
dustry is undertaken by a small number of institutes,
most of which are subordinate to the Ministry of
Aeronautics Industry (MAI). A pioneer in the com-
posite application effort is the Beijing Aeronautical
Manufacturing Technology Research Institute
(BAMTRI), which is involved in designing graphite
epoxy parts for a new fighter aircraft including
components such as the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and
torque box
in spite of the poor physical condi-
tions of the institute and its lack of sophisticated
equipment, it seemed capable of producing serviceable
parts and had on display a number of sophisticated
and well-designed composites. A similar assessment
was made of the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical
Materials (BIAM), which is reported to be one of
China's foremost laboratories for developing and test-
ing advanced composites for the aerospace industry.
In addition to developing glass and carbon fiber
structures for wing panels and aileron design, BIAM
is engaged in boron/aluminum metal matrix compos-
ites (MMC) research and has recently acquired some
hot isostatic pressing equipment for processing these
materials into advanced composite structures.
The Beijing Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
(BIAA), although subordinate to the MAI, also is
heavily involved in composite technology that supports
the aircraft as well as missile and space industries in
the BIAA is particularly strong in comput-
er-aided design techniques, including finite element
analysis of composite materials-a technique used in
predetermining the stress load of composite struc-
tures. The Aircraft Material Strength Research Insti-
tute at Jiaotong University in Xian also is heavily
involved in testing the mechanical behavior of ad-
vanced composites for use in fighter aircraft
Helicopter Parts
China gained access to a considerable amount of
advanced composite materials technology when it
signed a coproduction agreement with France's Aero-
spatiale for the Dauphine helicopter in 1980. Compos-
ite material used in the Dauphine constitutes more
than 25 percent of the total structure, including glass
and carbon fiber epoxies used in the rotor wing, rotor
hub, tail rotor, and the vertical tail section. The body
itself contains 59-percent composite material, includ-
ing 28-percent aluminum-NOMEX honeycomb struc-
ture, and 13-percent conventional riveted aluminum
(see figure 6). Currently, China acquires the compos-
ite material used in the Dauphine from Aerospatiale
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Figure 7
Composite Application in Chinese-
Procured UH-60A (Black Hawk)-
Type Helicopter
companies that included tours of the composite mate- 25X1
Other areas of Chinese interest include nuclear mate-
rials separation and deepwater pressure vessels.-
the Institute of
Nuclear Energy at Qinghua University, for example,
reportedly is trying to develop composite parts for
high-speed centrifuges that are used to separate fis-
sionable from nonfissionable uranium. Officials at the
institute have indicated an interest in US centrifuge
research and use of composite technology. F_
sibles for antisubmarine warfare.
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F---]As of late 1984, considerable work was 25X1
being done at Shanghai's Jiaotung University on a
deepwater rescue vessel that employed composites in
addition to several high-strength steel and superalloys.
This same technology can be applied to deep submer- 25X1
in the form of preimpregnated cloth that is shipped to
China in special temperature- and humidity-
controlled containers. while China has made signif- 25X1
icant progress in the field of advanced composite
materials since 1979, its state of the art is still some 25X1
five to eight years behind that of leading world
producers. China has a number of research and
manufacturing facilities that can develop and produce 25X1
materials and structures with varying levels of sophis-
China has shown interest in coproducing the S-70 tication, but material consistency and quality report- 25X1
utility transport helicopter, which was purchased from edly can vary from batch to batch and from one day
the United States in early 1984. to the next.)
The Chinese have made a
number of visits to US helicopter-manufacturing
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China's composite
materials program is essentially a two-pronged effort
to upgrade and expand basic composite materials
manufacturing capabilities and to develop and pro-
duce composite structures using both indigenous and
foreign-procured material. Chinese military compos-
ite specialists have acknowledged that they cannot
wait until their own industry is capable of producing
sufficient quantities of high-quality composite fiber
and resin. Consequently, China's foreign requirement
is for both fabrication equipment and high-grade
materials, as well as the manufacturing know-how
and equipment to produce composite fiber and binder
materials in volume.
Processes Used
As late as the 1970s the technology China used to
process fiber and resin into composite structures was
considered to be generally adequate for manufactur-
ing glass-fiber-reinforced products but lacked the
sophistication for fabricating advanced composite ma-
terials structures. Hand layup methods dominated
China's composites manufacturing as a means of ply
orientation. Also referred to as contact molding, hand
layup is.the oldest and simplest process for forming
glass-fiber-reinforced plastic. The fibers in this proc-
ess are usually short, rather than continuous, and are
used in relatively inexpensive applications that employ
fabrication methods such as injection molding and
sheet molding. Bag molding lamination methods also
are used in China, particularly in the aircraft indus-
try. The three types of processes in use were pressure
bag, vacuum bag, and autoclave, with the latter two
being the more popular. These bag molding methods
primarily use glass fiber cloth as the principal rein-
forcement and epoxies, polyesters, silicones, or phe-
nolics as a resin material. Various types of mold layup
methods also were being used in China to produce
complex and specialized components for various types
of aerospace application. These processes include pre-
form die molding, wet fabric molding, premix mold-
ing, prepreg molding, and displacement molding. The
presses normally involved were four-stand hydraulic
machinery with capacities ranging from 100 to 800
tons.
in its nondestructive testing
of composites China used a variety of techniques:
? Ultrasonic testing was used and employed frequen-
cies ranging from 100 kilohertz to 25 megahertz.
This process was considered effective in testing for
defects in composite lamination porosity and resin
content.
? X-ray testing of composite structures was conducted
to confirm the location of composite voids, delami-
nations, and crazing and to detect major changes in
resin content and nonuniform fiber orientation.
? Electrical properties testing was used to measure
composite hardness and moisture content.
? Microwave testing also was used to locate voids in
the laminations and to determine spots where resins
were either too concentrated or insufficient. It was
further used to detect changes in the degree of
hardness or moisture content of the material. Mi-
crowaves also were applied to testing composites
made of complex honeycomb-layered structures.
Technology Needs
China's push into advanced composites has generated
a need for a wide range of technologies and equipment
that is used to process continuous fiber such as carbon
and Kevlar into high-strength structures.
lamination, fila-
ment winding, and pultrusion-the drawing of contin-
uous-fiber-reinforced material-are the three primary
processes that China wants to introduce on a broad
scale (see figure 8). In lamination, the prepreg-
fiberous mats and similar materials that are impreg-
nated with partially cured resin, such as epoxy-is
stacked with the fiber oriented in the desired direc-
tion. When the laminate reaches the desired thick-
ness, it is placed in an autoclave and cured under
vacuum, which also will eliminate voids in the finished
item. China is seeking prepreg manufacturing equip-
ment as well as autoclaves to further its use of the
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Figure 8
Methods of Producing Continuous
Fiber Composites
AMP
An isotropic
(great strength
along one axis)
Resin dip
tank
/,ii!l,!!lil,,~~l!III~II111111
Isotropic
(strength is same
along all axes)
Mandrel
As mandrel revolves, carriage ==-' -'_
moves back and forth, laying
_ /
down impregnated fiber. Angle
/ :T__
of laydown depends on speed
and orientation of both
mandrel and carriage.
Traversing
carriage
Resin-impregnated
fibers
lamination method. Filament winding is another pro-
cess China wants to expand that involves successively
wrapping a long, resin-impregnated fiber filament
around a rigid form to produce, for example, a
cylindrical object such as a rocket motor casing.
When the winding is finished, the form also is placed
in an autoclave to be cured., The pultrusion process
involves feeding resin-impregnated filaments into a
Figure 9. Graphite fiber products-cloth, yarn,
and prepreg tape produced by a US composites
heated die. The cured section emerging from the die is
grasped and the remaining filaments are pulled
through at a constant rate. The process is used for
making complex shapes as well as for items with
constant cross sections such as spars and reinforce-
ment members in aerospace structures.
Prepreg Equipment. China's search for Western pre-
pregnation technology is driven primarily by military
requirements and involves all the manufacturing pro-
cesses currently being used, including solvent impreg-
nation, melt impregnation, and film impregnation (see
figure 9). The SNMTI, for example, has shown strong
interest in acquiring Swiss prepreg equipment that
uses a film impregnation process. This institute also is
attempting to purchase US-made prepreg manufac-
turing machines capable of producing material 300
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 Both the Harbin Fiber-Reinforced Plastics Institute
and SNMTI have attempted to obtain US equipment,
including the former's interest in a filament winding
machine having a product diameter of 50 to 400 mm;
computer-aided filament winding equipment; and a
heavy-duty winding machine capable of producing
tubes 2,200 mm in diameter and 8,000 mm in length.
millimeters (mm) in width.
The Great Wall Industrial Corporation (GWIC), the
import arm of China's ballistic missile and space
industry, also is trying to obtain prepreg technology
on behalf of the MOAI. In September 1983, a
Chinese delegation led by a senior GWIC official and
composed of engineers representing the China Space
Technology Research Institute and BRIMT toured a
number of Japanese companies that produce prepreg
and the manufacturing machinery.
Filament Winding. China has given priority to the
acquisition of advanced filament winding machines
since the late 1970s and has negotiated with suppliers
in Japan, the United States, France, Switzerland, and
West Germany (see figure 10). While successful in
importing some equipment, the difficulty of importing
this COCOM-controlled technology in the quantities
currently required reportedly has prompted Beijing to
muster its own resources for indigenously manufac-
turing the equipment.
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The product dimensions for this equipment (which
was denied an export license by the United States) are
remarkably similar to the configuration details of a
CSS-NX-3 solid-propellant missile displayed at
China's National Day parade in October 1984 (see
figure 1). Although this missile airframe is probably
made of steel, there is a strong possibility that the
Lantian Complex and SNMTI in particular may be
preparing to produce in volume a land-based version
of the CSS-NX-3 that would involve a filament-
wound rocket motor casing or airframe
The Chinese have acquired a variety of filament
winding equipment that would enable them to pro-
duce missile nosecones as well as rocket motor. cas-
ings, but
machines that were purchased in the
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Figure 11
Schematic of Pultrusion Equipment
That Uses Die Forming and
Microwave Curing
late 1970s are now considered obsolete by the Chi-
nese. The Chinese are also assembling small prototype
winding machines possibly involving acquired technol-
ogy to produce what Chinese technicians refer to as
canisters that are to be made of carbon and Kevlar-
equivalent material. One filament winding center is in
operation at the Lantian Complex;
winding center with a ballistic missile research and
development function is located at
ing
the Changsha College of Engineer-
Pultrusion. Because China's capabilities in pultrusion
fabrication of composite structures are limited, it is
currently emphasizing large-scale purchases of this
equipment from a variety of Western suppliers (see
figure 11). For example, British manufacturer Pul-
trex, Ltd., recently sold three state-of-the-art pultru-
sion machines to China
has sold machines to China, including a laborator
model and at least three production models.
Other. Additional equipment that is of priority inter-
est to the Chinese includes nondestructive test instru-
mentation such as acoustical emission test systems,
axio-torsional test systems, advanced materials analy-
sis systems, spectrographic equipment for online test-
ing of cured materials, and "instron" test equipment
that measures stress as well as the physical properties
of composite materials. The Chinese are also seeking
advanced types of autoclaves, which in their simplest
form are industrial pressure cookers that apply heat
and pressure in a controlled and monitored environ-
ment (see figure 12).
There is also considerable Chinese interest in ad-
vanced composite materials cutting techniques includ-
ing laser and high-pressure water jet cutting systems
(see figure 13). These can be used for cutting both
cured and uncured composite materials including
material used in rocket motors and missile nosecones.
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Figure 12. Autoclaves used in
curing aircraft and rotor-blade
Also of priori-
ty interest to the Chinese is the acquisition of ad-
vanced casting and molding machinery including hot
isostatic press equipment for use in China's aerospace
industry
Although China's entry into the composite materials
field began in 1953 when Chinese scientists, under the
tutelage of Soviet technicians, started investigating
the strength and anticorrosive characteristics of glass-
fiber-reinforced plastics, research did not fully devel-
op until the 1970s, when the military voiced an
interest in this material. This early investigation set
the stage for further research of fiber reinforcements
and resins that together could form a composite with
stiffness and the high strength-to-weight ratios need-
ed by the military to support its aerospace programs.
As shown in the table, the choice of composite
materials research in China, as elsewhere in the
world, is limited by the small number of reinforce-
ment fibers that can be used, and which, with the
exception of a Kevlar-equivalent aramid, must be
formed from a precursor or substrate material.
Fiber Research
Aramid (Kevlar). Chinese development of low-density,
high-tensile-strength aramid fiber began in the mid-
1970s through extensive study of US accomplish-
ments in the field. In 1979, the Chinese Academy of
Science (CAS), Beijing, claimed to have successfully
Secret
trial manufactured a Kevlar material that was re-
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ferred to as fiber B (the same designation that du Pont
25X1
gave its Kevlar test product).
the Shanghai Institute of Synthetic
Resins and the East China Institute of Chemical
Technology also were involved in the trial manufac-
ture of Kevlar-type material.
the Chinese were achieving consid-
erable success in developing ultra-high-modulus ara-
mid fiber and that emphasis was being directed to
acquiring and developing production techniques for
this material.
there is
at least one manufacturing facility, located in Shang-
hai, that produces Kevlar-equivalent fiber, and possi-
bly others located in Beijing and Nanjing. The quality
of China's Kevlar-equivalent fiber is difficult to as-
sess. Early 1983
the Chinese were achieving a tensile strength for their
aramid fiber that was very close to du Pont's Kevlar-
49 product. The cost of this domestically produced
aramid reportedly runs at about $100 per pound, far
more than the US and Western equivalents.
The shortfall in Chinese-produced aramid fiber is
being supplemented through large-scale imports of
Kevlar from a number of Japanese and Western .
suppliers.' Initially, these acquisitions were in .small
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China: Fiber Processing for
Selected Composite Materials
Boron epoxy, B/Ep A tungsten or carbon substrate is drawn
through a chamber filled with boron-
trichloride gas. The filament is heated and
the boron gas decomposes when it contacts
the hot substrate to produce an external
coating.
Graphite epoxy, G/Ep Most high-performance carbon/graphite
fibers are manufactured from a polyacry-
lonitrile (PAN) precursor using a process
that involves controlled pyrolysis. The
successive stages are: oxidation-heating in
an oxidizing atmosphere at 200 to 250
degrees Celsius (C); carbonization-heating
in a nonoxidizing atmosphere at 1,000?C
or above, for the production of high-
strength fiber; graphitization-heating in a
nonoxidizing atmosphere to 2,500 to
3,0001 C for high-modulus fibers. Finally,
the surface of the fiber is treated with a
process of controlled oxidation that pro-
motes adhesion of the fiber with a matrix
material such as epoxy to form the
composite.
lot quantities, suggesting that military research and
development requirements were the primary applica-
tion of the materials. More recently, however, the
Chinese-particularly GWIC-have been ordering
production-level quantities.
Boron. Development of high-modulus, high-strength
boron fiber has been under way in China since the
mid-1970s.
China was able to produce boron
fiber with an average tensile strength of more than
400,000 pounds per. square inch (psi). The production
process involved deposition of heated boron trichloride
gas and hydrogen on a-tungsten wire 17 to 25 microns
in diameter. When attempts were made to convert
this process into regular production, however, numer-
ous problems were encountered, including chemical
impurities and cracks in the fiber. Because of its high
development costs and the difficulties of introducing it
into regular production, boron fiber had been given a
low priority in Chinese research funding. Recently,
however, China has expressed renewed interest in this
technology, and has announced plans to purchase a
complete boron fiber production system.
Glass. The Chinese claim to be self-sufficient in glass
fiber technology, having both E- and S-glass capabili-
ty, which are filaments with extremely high modulus.
the glass fiber
composites that were being produced in the late 1970s
were used primarily for radar antenna coverings, fuel
tanks, rocket thrusters, and a variety of commercial
products. The composition of the fiberglass compos-
ites reportedly was not of uniform quality and had
Aramid epoxy, Kevlar A polymer solution is extruded through a 25X1
spinnarette and dried to produce a Kevlar
or Kevlar-equivalent fiber.
Fiberglass epoxy, Inorganic salts are melted and drawn
GI/Ep through a bushing to form a single fiber.
Small bundles of these fibers (yarns) may
be then woven into fabric, filament wound,
or formed into a unidirectional tape that
has been impregnated with a resin such as
epoxy. Large bundles of fibers (rovings)
may be woven into fabric, chopped for
fiber spraying, made into nondirectional
mats, or used as a sheet-molding
compound.
Boron/aluminum, Boron/aluminum is one of several metal
B/Al matrix composites (MMC) that consist of
a metallic alloy-usually aluminum, mag-
nesium, 25X1
or titanium-and contain a rein-
forcement in the form of a particle, whis-
ker, wire, or filament. The reinforcements
are made from a variety of high-perform-
ance metallic, ceramic, and organic mate-
rials including boron and graphite.
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little application as a primary structure in aircraft
design. A large-scale research effort was being
mounted at that time, however, to make fiberglass
composites of uniform quality and with a tensile
strength of at least 100,000 psi.
Carbon (Graphite).' Carbon fiber research and devel-
opment in China has been under way since 1969. Key
institutes engaged in carbon fiber research include the
Polymer Institute of Zhongshan University and the
Institute of Chemistry (under the Chinese Academy
of Sciences). Both specialize in polyacrylonitrile
(PAN)-based carbon fiber research. Research involv-
ing pitch-based carbon fiber material is centered at
the Shanxi Institute of Coal Chemistry and the
Thermal Energy Research Institute.
Although interrupted by the Cultural Revolution,
Chinese progress in indigenous development and man-
ufacture of high-strength and lightweight carbon fiber
has progressed steadily.
China is capable of pro-
ucing carbon fiber with tensile strengths ranging
from 250 to 300 kilograms per square millimeter
(kg/mm') and with a tensile modulus of 22,000
kg/mm'. Chinese material having these characteris-
tics, is comparable to carbon
fiber available in the rest of the world.)
China has problems in maintaining consistent quality
in domestically produced carbon fiber.
quality is that the Chinese adopted a process from
West Germany that combines a PAN-based precursor
with a catalyst containing tin in the fiber conversion
stage. The tin converts the materials to carbon more
quickly, but also forms oxide residuals on the fiber
surface that inhibits bonding. Moreover, China has
not improved on its PAN-based manufacturing tech-
nology, which was originally acquired from the Brit-
ish in the mid-1970s (see figure 14).
6 The term carbon is used throughout this report, although the
terms carbon and graphite are used interchangeably in the industry.
Generally, the term graphite refers to the more highly structured
Figure 14
Carbon Fiber Production Using
Courtauld's (United Kingdom) Process
Special
acrylic fiber
Graphitization
Continuous
fiber flow
The Chinese have attempted to develop carbon fiber
using rayon as a precursor. Rayon has special proper-
ties that cause a slower rate of oxidation and much
purer carbon fiber material, but it is a more costly
process. China also is considering the use of pitch,
which is very inexpensive, although the process of
converting the pitch into a mesophase (liquid crystal),
which is required before it can be further processed
into a high-strength and high-modulus fiber, is
complex.
China is stepping up efforts to expand its existing
PAN production capacity. A new PAN facility is
being planned in Daqing that will have a capacity of
25,000 metric tons per year. A French firm, ELF
Aquitaine is negotiating with the Chinese to build a
major chemical complex in the Shantou Special Eco-
nomic Zone, which would have facilities to produce
PAN fibers, as well as polymers, resin, and poly-
vinylchloride.
there may be as
many as eight carbon fiber manufacturing facilities in
China, most of which use the PAN precursor process.
The key carbon fiber production facilities are located
Inert gas
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Figure 15
Selected Advanced Composite Materials Research, Development, and Production Centers
Soviet Union Lake
Baikal
1, ealknasn
Pak.
F `Lin` Indinn claim
Chinese line
of control
Beijing,
Harbin*
Changchun
Ansharb Nortb
!-) Korea
DaIia'n Soutl
Demarc on
/-- Line grKore
TaiyuanQ
Yellow
Sea
Nanjing0
0 500 Kilometers
0 500 Miles
Burma
Lanzho.0
ChinaXi'arb
Chengdu0
Thailand
in Anshan (Liaoning), Guangzhou (Guangdong), Jilin
(Jilin), Lanzhou (Gansu), Liaoyuan (Jilin), Taiyuan
(Shanxi), Tongliao (Nei Monggol), and Shanghai.
These are mostly small operations, however, and
probably have a total annual output of not more than
100 metric tons. The largest of the facilities reported-
ly is the Lanzhou Carbon Plant, while the best carbon
Changsha0
O
hantou
Hong Kong
ill r I
Sea
fiber is believed to be produced at the Shanghai
Carbon Plant. The facilities located in Anshan and
Taiyuan reportedly are using pitch as a precursor for
manufacturing carbon fiber.
Phi igpines
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In addition to building new plants, China intends to
expand and upgrade these existing facilities. For
example, a Japanese firm has agreed to upgrade the
Liaoyuan Carbon Fiber Plant,
Resin Matrices
China divides its composite materials production into
two main types-thermoset and thermoplastic-ac-
cording to the resin matrix that is used. Thermoset
resins are preferred over thermoplastics as a binding
material because once formed they do not soften with
heat-an important feature in high-temperature com-
posite fabrication. Specialty epoxies, polimides, and
polyphenol quinoxalin (PRQ) are among the various
thermoset resins currently available in laboratory
quantities within China. Those that are in regular
production include biophenol A and cycloalephatic
epoxies and polyesters. The Chinese have followed US
technology closely in this area and have often copied
US developments, sometimes refining the technology.
An example is, the high-performance epoxy PRQ,
which is no longer available in the United States for
toxicity and commercial reasons but is very available
in China.
The main thermoset resins that China uses in making
composite materials fall into four categories: polyester
resins, epoxy resins, phenol resins, and polyimides.
Polyesters. Most of the polyester resins produced in
China have high polyester densities. These resins,
however, generally could not be used at more than
150 degrees Celsius. Another significant drawback of
Chinese-produced polyester resin composites is that
they have low-alkali, corrosion-resistance properties.
In the early 1980s, however, the Chinese were trial-
producing a Cisphenol-A-323-type unsaturated poly-
ester resin, which promised significant improvement
over existing materials.
Epoxies. China has placed considerable emphasis on
the production of epoxy resins because of their per-
formance capabilities. The most extensively produced
general purpose epoxy resins were made from Bis-
phenol A and epichlorohydrin; the second most com-
monly produced material is the epoxy Novalacresin.
Although there is significant demand in China for
epoxy resins, the scarcity of raw materials for produc-
tion and the high costs involved have hindered wide-
spread utilization. To supplement current production
of quality epoxy resins, the Chinese have turned to
Japan, the United States, and Western Europe. In
addition, several Japanese firms also are cooperating
in a joint-venture epoxy resin project that will provide
the Chinese with an initial capacity of 3,000 metric
tons per year of bisphenol liquid and solid epoxy resins
with capabilities for further expansion.
Phenolics. Although Chinese-produced phenolic res-
ins do not have the characteristics of domestic epoxy
resins, they reportedly are made in much greater
quantity because of their low production costs and
high heat-resistance properties. Use of this resin in
composite materials development has been thus far
limited because of the marginal quality of the materi-
al. Greater emphasis is now being placed on improv-
ing phenolic resins because of their growing use as a
matrix material for military-related carbon composite
structures.
Polyimides. We know little of China's high-tempera-
ture-resistant polyimide resin research and develop-,
ment capabilities.
there are some polimides available in laboratory
quantities. The Chinese have claimed, for example, to
have solved a problem the United States had in the
late 1970s with a NASA-developed polimide that
dealt with the use of a specific solvent. The United
States had been using ethyl alcohol as the solvent, but
the Chinese discovered that methanol alcohol with
water added had solved this problem.
Thermoplastics. The primary thermoplastic resin used
in China for fiberglass-reinforced plastic applications
has been nylon. Domestically produced 1010 nylon is
widely used because it can endure temperatures up to
80 degrees Celsius and as low as minus 60 degrees
Celsius. Alternatives to nylon include polycarbonate,
linear polyester (terylene), polyethylene, and polypro-
pylene. The linear polyester thermoplastic resins were
in widest use and held the greatest interest because of
lower costsl
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A substantial research effort also is under way in
China to study the applications of carbon-fiber-rein-
forced thermoplastic resins such as polytetrafluoro-
ethylene (PTFE), polysulfane, and polycarbonate. In
addition, the Chinese apparently are looking into
advanced composite thermoplastic materials such as
PEEK, a newly developed British polymer that pos-
sesses superior toughness, high thermal resistance to
common solvents, and low moisture absorption char-
acteristics. Moreover, PEEK can be processed rapidly,
without the curing agents and autoclaves required for
thermosets. Research on this material involves the
Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials (BIAM),
which is reported to be one of the foremost Chinese
laboratories charged with the development and testing
of advanced composite materials for the aerospace
industry.
Metal Matrix Composites
Metal matrix composite (MMC) materials have been
under technical investigation in China since the mid-
1970s. Chinese-produced MMCs consist of a standard
metallic alloy-typically aluminum or titanium-that
contains reinforcement additives in the form of parti-
cles, whiskers, wires, or filaments. These reinforce-
ments are made from a variety of high-performance
metallic, ceramic, or organic materials such as boron,
silicon carbide, and graphite. The most popular rein-
forcement material used widely in China has been a
silicon carbide ceramic. A variation of this reinforce-
ment is Borsic, which includes the use of a thin
coating of silicon carbide over a boron-.clad tungsten
filament.
Recently, the Chinese have shown a strong interest in
improving their graphite/aluminum and boron/ .
aluminum MMC technologies. From papers presented
at international carbon conferences, it appeared to
some specialists in the field that China was about five
years behind the. more advanced countries in graphite
metal matrix technology, but was anxiously seeking to
narrow this gap.
interest in adopting new methods of coating carbon
for metal matrix usage. The Chinese also have shown
a desire to concentrate their MMC fiber-
reinforcement research on graphite and boron-tech-
nologies that are expected to be developing rapidly in
the international metal matrix field.
China's MMC technology is an area that has exten-
sive military application but little commercial utiliza-
tion. This is substantiated in China by the fact .that
most Chinese R&D in this field is performed by
institutes and laboratories subordinate to the
NDSTIC, the MOAI, or the MAI.
China's technology and equipment requirement for
the fabrication of MMC components varies according
to the structure of the reinforcement. Continuous
filament MMCs, for example, are characterized by
the presence of long fibers of reinforcement within a
metallic matrix. These continuous-filament-
reinforced MMC parts can be produced in several
ways. These processes involve sandwiching parallel 25X1
fibers between metal foil and bonding this material
into a single mass. 25X1
Chinese development of discontinuous-fiber-
reinforcement MMC is characterized by the presence
of relatively small particles of reinforcing material
spread uniformly throughout the metallic matrix. The
most common method of making discontinuous rein-
forced MMC in China appears to follow standard
powdered metallizing procedures where a matrix met-
al powder is blended with the powdered reinforce-
ment. This mixture in turn is either forged, extruded,
or cast to achieve a near-net shape. Hot isostatic
pressing (HIP) is a more advanced application of this
molding process and is a technology that ranks high
on China's current shopping list. The structures them-
selves have a variety of applications in areas where
high-temperature resistance is critical, such as jet 25X1
turbine fan blades and ballistic missile components.
Carbon-Carbon Materials
Carbon-carbon composites are a special class of high-
temperature material in which a substance such as
polymer or pitch is pyrolized to form an inert carbon
matrix around a preform of carbon fiber. The initial 25X1
step in the manufacture of carbon-carbon composites
determines the ultimate configuration of the end item, 25X1
that is, two dimensional or multidimensional. Two-
dimensional carbon-carbon composites consist of lay-
ers of carbon or graphite fabric with an organic
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Figure 16
3-D Orthogonal Weave of Carbon-
Carbon Composite
of this multidimensional carbon-carbon composite
material has been a priority effort in China for at
least 10 years.
the micro-
Resin/pitch or CVD
graphitized matrix
matrix material. These materials are used primarily
for aircraft brakes and rocket motor components such
as throats and exit cones.
The manufacture of multidimensional composites
such as those used in weapon reentry vehicle nosetips,
however, requires further weaving of the preforms and
a rigidization process involving yarn and resin (see
figure 16). The densification and carbonization of this
multidimensional preform are achieved through
chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and low-pressure or
high-pressure processing. The most advanced process,
called pressure impregnation carbonization, involves
HIP technology and equipment. Chinese-produced
three-dimensional composite reportedly is prepared by
the high-pressure, impregnation-carbonization pro-
cess. This process is based on preliminary pyrolytic
infiltration, on multiple pitch impregnation carboniza-
tion at high pressures, and on graphitization cycles.
Weaving of the material apparently involves the use
of domestically designed looms, some of which were
displayed at a composite materials exhibit held in
Shanghai in late 1980. The research and development
structure of 3-D carbon-carbon composite material
currently being developed in China is identical to
weapon reentry vehicle nosetips being fabricated in
been placing much greater emphasis on carbon-
carbon research and are thus significantly further
ahead in this area than in any other sector of ad-
vanced composite research.
China's rapid progress in the carbon-carbon area can
also be attributed to the materials and technology that
it acquires from abroad.
the Chinese are regularly obtaining
significant quantities of T-300 PAN from a Japanese
firm for use in carbon-carbon composites research.
Composite materials specialists have visited the Unit-
ed States periodically over the years to solicit infor-
mation, compare manufacturing processes, and ac-
quire new technologies and materials relevant to their
Carbon-carbon research in China also has benefited
through the Sino-US student exchange program. For
example, Zhao Jiaxing, one of China's leading au-
thorities on carbon-carbon composites and a deputy
director of the Non-Metallic Materials Department at
BRIMT, came to the United States in the early 1980s
as a visiting scholar. During the course of his stay,
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Zhao reportedly gleaned all the carbon-carbon-
related information that was available in open litera-
ture and sought the opinions of others on the technol-
ogy.
China's push in advanced composite materials could
have significant and long-term impact on the pace and
scope of its modern weapon system development and
manufacture. Advanced composites can provide Chi-
na performance advantages for its intermediate-range
and intercontinental ballistic missiles, improved tar-
geting accuracy of weapon reentry vehicles, broad
applications in space-related structures, higher perfor-
mance and load-carrying capacities for fighter air-
craft and helicopters, more sophisticated techniques
for processing weapons-grade uranium, and new di-
mensions in the design of undersea platforms. When
China can achieve the capability to develop and apply
lightweight composite materials to components and
structures that comprise these various weapon systems
depends, in large part, on how rapidly and extensively
advanced composite materials technology, fabrication
equipment, and manufacturing processes are intro-
duced and absorbed.
Materials Production
The main variable in forecasting when China will be
able to manufacture composite fiber and binder mate-
rials in quantities sufficient to meet its long-term
needs is, in our judgment, dependent upon how Bei-
jing acquires the capability to upgrade and expand its
existing materials base. If Beijing is successful in
obtaining one or more of the composite fiber and resin
materials production lines now being negotiated with
firms in COCOM and non-COCOM member coun-
tries, startup production could begin within two years
after procurement.
if China were to acquire only one of the
sophisticated composite fiber production lines current-
ly being negotiated for, the Chinese could easily
replicate the equipment and manufacturing process to
meet its long-term requirement for that particular
believe it will be three to four years before full
production is reached. The delay arises from the
complexities of arranging covert purchases and the
fact that support from the supplying firms-company 25X1
technicians assisting in installation, pilot production,
and training the Chinese work force-is not normally
as thorough in covert transactions as in normal com-
mercial deals.
The priority China clearly is giving to obtaining
foreign assistance in its composite materials expansion
effort suggests that it is unlikely to try to rely on
domestic resources to develop a large-scale manufac-
turing capability. Should China choose to go it alone,
we suspect the estimate of foreign specialists that it
would take five to eight years to meet domestic needs
is probably the' best guess.
Structure Development and Application
The development and application of advanced com-
posite materials to components and structures that
will be used in China's weapon systems are likely to
start slowly and pick up speed as the availability of
both indigenously produced and foreign-procured ma-
terials and fabrication equipment increases. The proc-
ess will probably move quickly because China's com-
posite structural engineers and scientists have not
been content to rely solely on indigenously supplied
materials and equipment in their investigation of
advanced composite materials application in weapon
system manufacture
China could be
preparing its Lantian solid-propellant ballistic missile
complex for serial manufacture of strategic missile
unun nocber of high-pressure water jet cutting
type of reinforcement material.
If China is forced to turn to covert acquisition of
composite materials manufacturing technology, we
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Figure 17
Configuration of a Modern Composite Materials
Fabrication Center
Steel rule die
roller press
BONDING &
ASSEMBLY AREA
PREPREG CUTTING
& KITTING AREA
AUTOCLAVE
LOAD A
UNLOADING
AREA
TOOL STRIP
A PREP AREA
Tape Broadgoods
laminator laminator
machines that are used not only in trimming the
material of an advanced composite rocket motor
casing but are also needed to shape the propellant
within the motor casing itself.
China is at the crossroads
between development and application of advanced
composite. materials increased
funding and facility expansion for composite research,
development, and production at major military indus-
trial installations. Researchers at the Lantian Com-
plex, for example, acknowledge that they have ade-
quate funding for upgrading and expanding their
composite materials facilities, and the Shenyang and
Xian aircraft plants also are reported to be undergo-
ing initial construction or major expansion of their
composite centers (see figure 17). The Northwest
Polytechnic University at Xian has a new advanced
FILAMENT MAINT
WINDING AREA AREA
composite materials fabrication center and the Beijing
Aeronautical Manufacturing Technology Research
Institute is expanding its composite research facility
as more funds have become available.
Equipment Requirements
There is little indication that China's composite mate-
rials program will be significantly delayed by the lack
of fabrication equipment needed to process the mate-
rials into various component and structural parts.
China already has purchased either covertly or legally
most of the equipment that is unique to the composite
materials fabrication process. A major boon for the
Chinese, however, is the type of transaction that has
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~ecrer
been arranged with a US company for high-speed
water jet cutting equipment whereby China not only
acquires the machines but also the manufacturing
rights to produce and distribute the equipment within
China. We believe that similar transactions for other
types of processing equipment would eliminate a
major obstacle in China's ability to move rapidly into
the advanced composite materials field.
Quality Control
An area that China is not likely to overcome quickly
in its advanced composite materials development ef-
fort is quality assurance and testing. China has a poor
record in general for quality control of its industrial
products, and its testing of infrastructural materials-
resins, fibers, and composite products-is not likely to
fare much better. Although China has acquired sig-
nificant amounts of nondestructive testing machinery
over the past several years, its use of this equipment
for testing composite specimens or components could
be stymied if similar quality and reliability techniques
were not employed throughout the entire downstream
manufacturing process. The Chinese recognize that
maintaining product reliability is a serious problem
and are anxious to hire foreign composite materials
specialists as consultants to the industry. In the
meantime, China could be forced to experience
through trial and error many of the problems that
Western industry has overcome only through estab-
lishment of a rigid quality control system.
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Secret
Appendix A
China: Selected Composite Materials/Structures
Research and Development Facilities
Anshan
Anshan Institute of Thermal
Ministry of Metallurgical
(Liaoning)
Energy Research
Industry
Beijing
Beijing Aerodynamics Institute
Ministry of Astronautics
(BAI) (701 Institute)
Industry
Beijing Institute of Aeronautical
Chinese Aeronautical Establish-
Materials (BIAM)
ment (CAE)
Beijing Aeronautical Manufac-
Ministry of Aeronautics Industry
turing Technology Research In-
stitute (BAMTRI) (625 Institute)
Beijing Institute of Chemistry
(BIC)
Beijing Institute of Electrical and
Chinese Aeronautical Establish-
Mechanical Engineering
ment (CAE)
(BIEME)
Beijing Institute of Mechanics
(BIM)
Beijing Research Institute of Ma- Ministry of Astronautics
terials Technology (BRIMT) Industry
Changchun
(Jilin)
Changchun Institute of Optics
and Precision Mechanics
Changsha
(Hunan)
Changsha Institute of Technol-
ogy (Changsha Engineering
College)
National Defense Science, Tech-
nology, and Industries Commis-
sion (NDSTIC)
Guangzhou
(Guangdong)
Polymer Institute of Zhongshan
University
Harbin
(Heilongjiang)
Harbin Fiberglass-Reinforced
Plastics Institute
Harbin Fiberglass-Reinforced
Plastics Institute
Jilin (Jilin)
Jilin Research Institute of
Chemical Industry
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lantian
(Shaanxi)
Shaanxi Non-Metallic Materials
and Technology Institute
(SNMTI)
Ministry of Astronautic Industry
(Lantian Solid-Propellant Ballis-
tic Missile Complex)
Northwestern Chemical Propul-
sion Company/ Materials and
Processes Institute
Ministry of Astronautic Industry
(Lantian Solid-Propellant Ballis-
tic Missile Complex)
Shanghai
Shanghai East China Institute of
Chemical Technology
Shanghai Fiberglass-Reinforced
Plastics Institute
Shanghai Institute of Synthetic
Resin
Shanghai Municipality
Research and development of pitch-based'car-
bon fiber.
Thermodynamics of ballistic missiles and reen-
try bodies.
Advanced composite application in missile and
aircraft design.
Advanced composite materials application in
aircraft design.
High-polymer chemistry and composite fiber
R&D, including PAN-based carbon fiber and
Kevlar-equivalent material.
Advanced composite materials application in
aircraft, missile, launch' vehicle, and satellite
design.
Nondestructive testing of composite specimens.
Advanced composite application in weapon re-
entry vehicles, missile nosecones, rocket en-
gines, and satellites.
Application of composite materials to laser-
related research.
Advanced composite materials application in
solid-propellant ballistic missiles, weapon reen-
try vehicles, spacecraft, and high-speed centri-
fuge design.
Composite fiber application in aerospace
structures.
Carbon fiber research and application
development.
Composite materials R&D for ballistic missile
application.
Advanced composite materials application in
solid-propellant ballistic missile design.
Development of Kevlar-equivalent composite
fiber.
Carbon, graphite, and Kevlar fiber research.
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China: Selected Composite Materials/Structures
Research and Development Facilities (continued)
Taiyuan (Shanxi) Shanxi Institute of Coal Chinese Academy of Sciences R&D of pitch-based carbon fiber.
Chemistry
Xian (Shaanxi) Aircraft Materials Strength Re- Ministry of Aeronautics Industry Advanced composite materials application in
search Institute (623 Institute) (Northwest Polytechnic aircraft design.
University)
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