With the advancement and development of science, many new materials have been researched. Have you heard of "aramid paper"?

This is no ordinary paper—it has special properties: it is slash-proof, corrosion-resistant, and won it catch fire. Aramid paper is widely used in real life.
Initially, aramid paper was not developed by China. Japan, the United States, and other countries were the first to research aramid paper.
However, they monopolized the technology, selling it to us for 2,800 yuan while costing only 20 yuan, reaping huge profits. China had no choice but to conduct its own research on this technology.
Now, our country is aramid paper technology has reached a world-class level.
1. What Is Aramid Paper?
What makes aramid paper so special that these countries raced to research it?
Aramid paper is a composite material made from aramid fibers, which is quite different from ordinary paper.
In terms of classification, aramid paper can be divided into two types: para-aramid insulating paper and meta-aramid insulating paper.
Aramid paper has unique properties: it is heat-resistant, highly insulating, strong, chemically stable, and has a long service life. It is widely used in electronics, aerospace, shipbuilding, and other fields, making it an important defense material.
Aramid paper is lightweight yet incredibly strong, giving it an advantage over other materials. Products made from aramid paper ensure strength while remaining easy to carry, making it the preferred choice for material selection and playing a significant role in many scientific research missions.
As China places greater emphasis on technology, the aerospace field has seen remarkable development. Aramid paper is an important material in spacecraft research and development.
It is well known that spacecraft manufacturing is a complex process, and reaching space is no easy feat. Using lightweight and thin aramid paper in spacecraft manufacturing significantly reduces the weight of the spacecraft. For every kilogram reduced, the manufacturing cost of the spacecraft could decrease by millions of dollars. This small material, aramid paper, can play a huge role.
Aramid paper is highly flexible, with a density only one-fifth that of steel. These characteristics make it shine in the military field. During the Cold War, the United States even classified it as a military-grade resource, placing great emphasis on this material.
In fact, aramid paper was originally called "Nomex paper." In the 1960s, after continuous improvements by DuPont, Nomex paper evolved into aramid paper.
Testing revealed that this paper had extremely special properties, making it a valuable material.
As aramid paper spread, Japan also began researching the technology to master its production.
By the 1980s, Japan is Mitsubishi Corporation had also preliminarily mastered the technology to produce aramid paper, making it the second country in the world to do so.
Being technologically constrained is not a good situation. After the United States and Japan mastered aramid paper production, they planned to market it to other countries. They exported aramid paper at exorbitant prices—selling it for 2,800 yuan when it cost only 20 yuan—putting China in an unfavorable position.
However, aramid paper is properties are so unique that it has uses in various research fields, making it a sought-after material for many countries.
Despite its high price, many countries rushed to purchase it, but they had no choice but to accept these terms.
The United States implemented this policy to suppress China is development, enforcing export controls against China.
To comply with government policies, DuPont also restricted the export of aramid paper to China, even outright banning it. This was a heavy blow to China, which was still developing.
Even when relations between the United States and China improved, aramid paper exports remained restricted. China was unable to access new types of aramid paper developed by the United States and could only purchase earlier-generation products.
If it couldn it be bought from the United States, the situation with Japan was no better.
At the time, Japan did export aramid paper to China, but the transactions were unfair. We had no say in the matter—the number of custom-made aramid paper parts to be sold was entirely determined by Japan, and the quantities were minimal.
It was clear that China could not engage in fair transactions for aramid paper, whether with the United States or Japan.
However, there was no choice. After the emergence of aramid paper, related industries had already developed in China. Even for the sake of these industries, we could not stop purchasing aramid paper.
2. China Begins Research on Aramid Paper
China would not tolerate this situation forever. Gradually, people began researching aramid paper production technology.
In 2003, a team emerged in China—the Minstd Innovation Team, formed by employees of a subsidiary of Taixing New Materials.
These dedicated individuals recognized China is technological bottleneck in aramid paper and hoped to overcome this challenge to contribute to the country is progress.
They were uncertain about the outcome, but their determination kept them moving forward.
Developing new technology is a difficult task. They had no relevant information, no assistance, and no experience in aramid paper production.
Despite these challenges, they persevered. After four years of relentless effort and exploration, they successfully developed China is own aramid paper, naming it Metastar Aramid Paper.
This breakthrough thrilled the Chinese people. It meant we no longer needed to import aramid paper from abroad or endure the "exorbitant profits" of the United States and Japan. This broke their 40-year monopoly and gave China a much-needed victory.
China officially became the third country in the world capable of independently producing aramid paper, after the United States and Japan.
For four years, the Minstd Team is hard work paid off. Their struggles, though unknown to many, were truly admirable.
After producing the first batch of aramid paper, the Minstd Team did not rest on their laurels. They continued to refine and improve the technology.
In the market, China also began exporting aramid paper. By 2010, Minstd had become a global supplier to leading automation companies, marking the official entry of China is aramid paper enterprises into the international market.
After mastering aramid paper production technology, Chinese research teams conducted further studies to develop even better-performing aramid paper.
After years of process improvements, China is aramid paper could be mass-produced, representing significant progress.
However, the drawback was that, due to our late start in aramid paper research and ongoing suppression by the United States, our manufacturing technology remained at the first-generation level.
In comparison, the United States has already developed third-generation aramid paper technology, which is an area we should learn from.
For many cutting-edge technology fields, third-generation aramid paper technology is crucial. Therefore, we should accelerate research on aramid paper, advancing and refining it.
Progress in this technology takes time, so importing new-generation aramid paper from abroad remains necessary.
Thus, China still needs to learn from foreign experiences in aramid paper research, engaging in more discussions and exchanges to accelerate progress.
Adhering to the principles of openness and shared cooperation, China has now become a global player. At this stage, China holds a significant position in the international arena, and cooperation and exchange remain essential paths for our development.
3. Lessons Learned
When China faced crises and suppression from abroad, everyone should have stepped up. The emergence of the Minstd Innovation Team brought hope to China at that time, and it is believed that there were many other teams like them.
These individuals, uncertain of success, bravely stepped forward. Despite having no guidance, experience, or funding, they persevered. Through four years of diligent work, they achieved satisfying results.
In life, there are many unknown challenges. We should all be courageous—whether we fail or succeed, we only know by trying.
Additionally, the Minstd Team stayed informed about international trends and understood China is technological bottlenecks, enabling them to step up during critical times and develop new technology.
There are still many technological bottlenecks in our country. The existence of these bottlenecks means being at a disadvantage, and many countries take advantage of this to engage in "exploitative" behavior.
We despise such opportunistic behavior. Because we have experienced it ourselves, we firmly refuse to bully weaker countries by leveraging technological advantages. Mutual assistance between nations is essential for building a harmonious world and promoting development.
Currently, China is aramid paper technology has overcome initial bottlenecks but still lags behind the most advanced manufacturing technology, necessitating imports.
This requires the joint efforts of the Chinese people to continue researching new technologies. The state should also increase support for scientific research, invest more funds, and encourage capable individuals to step forward.
For other technological bottlenecks in China, breakthroughs must also be accelerated. "Backwardness means being beaten" remains an eternal truth.
Conclusion:
Aramid paper is a special composite material. While it resembles ordinary paper in appearance, it possesses unique properties such as water resistance, high hardness, great strength, lightweight, heat resistance, strong stability, and long service life, giving it advantages over many materials.
These characteristics make aramid paper highly sought after in scientific research. It is widely used in shipbuilding, manufacturing, aerospace, military fields, and more, making it a crucial material.
Before we mastered aramid paper manufacturing technology, we were suppressed by Japan and the United States, engaging in unfair transactions.
This demonstrates the importance of breaking technological bottlenecks for a country. To avoid being bullied, science and technology must be prioritized, as they are the primary productive forces.