The export of China's high-speed rail is of extraordinary significance, as it is not merely the "overseas expansion" of a single industry, but the "global outreach" of the entire industrial chain. Although the current market scale of China's high-speed rail remains relatively small, once it gains recognition in overseas markets, it will reshape the global brand image of "Made in China" and drive the development of segmented fields in the upper and lower streams of the industrial chain.

For high-speed railways, the materials used must meet higher standards in terms of strength, fatigue performance, lightweight properties, and processability. As a result, an increasing number of new materials are being applied in this field, mainly in the following aspects nowadays:

Composite Material Car Bodies

Composite materials have begun to be used in railway vehicles, with their usage volume constantly increasing, representing the future development trend. Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites, due to their advantages such as high specific strength (stiffness), fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, heat insulation, flame retardancy, and strong designability, were first applied in non-structural components by the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany in the 1960s. Now, they are increasingly used in various structural components. For example, fiberglass-reinforced plastics and aramid fiber-reinforced epoxy resins are adopted for car bodies and the front parts of train heads. Currently, in Western Europe, among the composite materials used in manufacturing railway vehicles, classified by fiber type: glass fiber accounts for 58%, aramid fiber accounts for 20%, carbon fiber accounts for 20%, and others account for 2%; classified by resin type: polyester accounts for 35%, vinyl ester accounts for 22%, epoxy resin accounts for 21%, phenolic resin accounts for 15%, modified acrylic resin accounts for 4%, and others account for 3%.

Bogies

The frame of a bogie is an especially important high-strength component, which is related to the safety of the entire vehicle. Bogies must meet requirements such as safety, riding comfort, wear resistance, and easy maintenance.

Frames are mostly made of high-quality carbon steel, low-alloy low-carbon high-strength steel, and weathering steel. Recently, research has focused on frames made of polymer composite materials and aluminum alloys.

Vehicle Interior Decoration and Equipment

Vehicle interior decoration and equipment mainly include decorative panels, toilets, washrooms, seats, and water tanks, which are mainly made of aluminum alloys and polymer materials. For instance, decorative panels are made of aluminum alloy with a layer of non-flammable fiber-reinforced plastic laminated on top. For toilets, washrooms, seats, and water tanks, hygiene and corrosion resistance also need to be considered, so non-flammable materials are preferred.