Li Zhihong, Zhao Bo, Yi Yunlei, Wangqin
(Superhard Material (Industrial Diamond) Association of China, CMTBA, 450013
Zhengzhou Research Institute for Abrasives & Grinding, 450013)
Abstract This article reviews the development of the superabrasives industry in China in the 21st century with 25 statistical tables and figures (4 to 7 years' periods). It also reveals the output of synthetic diamonds in China, which is nearly 4.4 billion carats in 2007. China has become the largest synthetic diamond producer in terms of quantity in the world since the year of 2000. This article gives examples of the main achievements of Chinese abrasives industry (e.g. synthetic diamond, cubic boron nitride, sawing and cutting tools for the stone and construction industry, grinding and cutting tools for machining industry and drilling tools for the geological exploration industry, etc). It also gives out the data of import and export statistics from the Customs in China, US, and Japan, which shows that Chinese synthetic diamond and diamond tools have been accepted by more and more overseas customers with an increasing market share. Since 2007, the synthetic diamond from China has accounted for 59% of US's total synthetic diamond imports and 40% of Japan's total imports. This paper also illustrates the huge differences between China's synthetic diamond and diamond tools and those from the countries with advanced technologies. Eight major problems of the Chinese superabrasives industry are being analyzed. This paper also presents an outlook of the future development of the Chinese superabrasives industry basing on the Chinese macroeconomics and the recent data of the end-users as well as their future development trend. The paper concludes by proposing that although remarkable achievements have been made in the past 45 years, given the fact that Chinese superabrasives industry still lags behind that from the advanced countries on a multitude of variables, further endeavor should be made to make China a super country in the superabrasives industry in the world.