DALIAN, China - A research team led by Professor Jian Xigao, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at Dalian University of Technology (DUT), has successfully developed a new generation of structurally and functionally integrated composite material components for naval vessels. The components have passed third-party inspection and testing, marking a significant breakthrough in China's quest for self-reliance in high-end marine materials.

According to the test results, the new composite components achieve a weight reduction of over 60% compared to currently deployed shipbuilding steel, while meeting comprehensive performance requirements including high-temperature resistance, radiation tolerance, corrosion resistance, and flame retardancy. The components also satisfy application-specific demands for radar wave absorption and low infrared emissivity, with the technology readiness level assessed at TRL 5 - indicating readiness for engineering application.

"The deployment of this achievement will effectively break the long-standing foreign technology monopoly and address critical gaps in China's high-end composite materials sector for naval vessels," said Academician Jian. "It provides a solid solution for achieving self-reliance and performance upgrades in next-generation Chinese warships."

Shipboard core components operate under extreme conditions year-round - subjected to high salt-spray corrosion, intense humidity, strong ultraviolet radiation, and complex mechanical loads. These materials must simultaneously achieve lightweight construction to reduce displacement, increase speed, and enhance payload capacity; resist corrosion, high temperatures, flame, and radiation; and meet the stringent radar and infrared stealth requirements of modern naval warfare.

"Conventional domestic ship materials have historically struggled to balance lightweight properties with multifunctionality and high reliability," acknowledged Zou Jiaxuan, a Ph.D. candidate at DUT's School of Chemical Engineering and team leader. He further noted that critical technologies - including high-performance resin matrices, structure-function integrated components, and precision machining for large-scale parts - had long been concentrated in a handful of countries, leaving China's high-end material supply chain vulnerable and subject to foreign technology blockades.

Since late 2022, the research group under Academician Jian's guidance has been systematically advancing material system design, component fabrication, and performance verification, targeting the operational demands of shipboard structures in high-salinity, high-humidity, intense-UV, complex-load, and specialized protective scenarios.

Looking ahead, Zou Jiaxuan outlined the team's next steps: "We will go all out to advance full-scale shipboard application and engineering validation of the new materials." The team plans to continue technology iteration and accelerate the deep integration of industry, academia, and research.

From "technology-dependent" to "self-reliant and controllable," the Dalian University of Technology research team has laid a critical material foundation for Chinese-built naval vessels to navigate the blue waters with independent innovation.

About Dalian University of Technology
Dalian University of Technology is a leading Chinese research institution renowned for its expertise in materials science, chemical engineering, and marine technology innovation.