Although the world economic development is facing many crises, but the demand for carbon fiber is still rising. Beyond the traditional aerospace sector, new markets for carbon fibre such as cars, wind turbine blades and pressure vessels are emerging. China epoxy resin industry Association experts forecast that the world's carbon fiber demand will grow at a rapid rate of about 13% annually, with global demand for polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based carbon fiber reaching 50,000 tons next year, 60,000 tons by 2012, and expected to reach 100,000 tons by 2018. Seven major carbon fibre manufacturers (Toray, Togo, Mitsubishi Rayon, SGL, Hexcel, Cytec and Zoltek) have announced plans to increase production by 78% over the next three to five years, with a total investment of 879.7 million euros ($1.3 billion). In the short term, demand will outstrip supply, but by 2012 supply is likely to outstrip demand. The demand for asphalt-based carbon fibres is also growing, particularly in environmentally related industries, where the market size is about 3,000 tonnes and is expected to grow to 4,000 tonnes by 2012. Based on the crystal state of asphalt, bitumen-based carbon fiber can be classified into two types: isotropic and mesophase. Isotropic carbon fiber has excellent heat resistance, drug resistance and sliding property, and mesophase has high strength, high modulus and other mechanical properties. In addition to booming demand for silicon-based furnaces for making large semiconductor wafers and solar power systems, furnaces that burn carbon fiber and CFRP are also used as essential insulation. Japan's Toray Industries co., Dairenco., and Mitsubishi Corp., plan to join forces to mass-produce recycled carbon fibers to promote recycling of high-strength lightweight materials. Together, the three companies control 70 per cent of the global market for carbon fibre.

　　Carbon fiber producers are adding capacity, according to a March 2008 interim supplement to Japan's Chemical Economy. Taking PAN(polyacrylonitrile) based carbon fiber as an example, in addition to the world's largest Toray will add production lines in Japan, the United States and France, Dongbon Tenax is also building new production lines in Japan and Germany. In addition, Kureha and Japan's Graphite Fiber, two companies that make asphalt-based carbon fibers based on coal and petroleum asphalt, expanded their production capacity in 2009. Carbon fiber enterprises are taking energy and environmental problems as an opportunity to expand market demand. Compared with metal, carbon fiber has excellent properties such as strength and modulus, heat resistance, electrical conductivity and wear resistance, etc. It is widely used in sports and leisure, general industry, aerospace and other fields. According to the China Epoxy resin Industry Association, world demand for PAN based carbon fiber is estimated to be about 30,000 tons, growing at a rate of 13% per year, and is expected to increase to nearly 50,000 tons by 2010. In response to this expansion, Japanese manufacturers have been proposing capacity expansion plans since last year. Toray increased production capacity in Japan at the beginning of 2008 and by the end of 2008 it had increased capacity in its European and US subsidiaries. Toray alternative plan in July 2009, set up excellent processability of special fabric level special equipment (1000 tons/year), the capacity expansion of investment about 71 billion yen, its purpose is to deal with the future aviation machine and industrial demand, make the group's production capacity before the end of 2010 and expand to 25000 tons/year, its market share rose to 38% from 34% now. With an investment of 10.7 billion yen, Tenax Togo increased its production capacity in Japan by about 60% in April 2008. Its subsidiary TTE in Germany will also expand its production capacity in August 2009 with the goal of strengthening its profitability.