Superhard materials are known as the "king of materials" and the "ultimate semiconductor." They are also one of the few leading and globally advantageous industries in Henan Province, China, and have become a shining industrial symbol. Diamond is the backbone of superhard materials.
Among the legion of superhard materials in China, Henan Huanghe Whirlwind Co., Ltd., a listed company located in Changge City, stands out.
As the earliest listed company in the diamond industry in China, Huanghe Whirlwind has become the only enterprise in the world capable of large-scale production across the entire industry chain. Their "Whirlwind" brand of synthetic diamonds holds a stable position among the top three in the global market.
Under the leadership of the "chain leader" Huanghe Whirlwind, there are now more than 30 diamond manufacturing and processing-related enterprises in Xuchang. In 2022, their main business revenue exceeded 20 billion yuan, making it an important artificial diamond and product production base in China and Asia.
Diamond Advantages:
Diamond is a mineral composed of carbon, known for its high hardness, good wear resistance, and excellent anti-corrosion properties. It is also the precursor of diamonds.
Synthetic diamonds possess the same excellent properties as natural diamonds and are applicable in various fields, including cutting, grinding, drilling, and polishing. They are often referred to as "industrial teeth" and find extensive applications:
- In offshore wind turbines, diamond powder is used as a coating to greatly prevent erosion by seawater and sea winds.
- Fishing nets in Dalian use highly elastic fibers with added diamond anti-corrosion, reducing the need for frequent maintenance.
- Diamond powder added to car coatings protects the surface from general scratches.
- Airports use superhard materials like diamond to make runways more durable.
- In the medical field, diamond-coated surgical knives can achieve virtually painless incisions.
In the jewelry industry, lab-grown diamonds have rapidly expanded their market share as a complementary and substitute product for natural diamonds, thanks to increased market acceptance. Producers of natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds, and fashion jewelry brands worldwide are actively establishing retail channels for lab-grown diamonds.
China's diamond industry started relatively late but has developed rapidly. After 60 years of development, China's diamond production ranks first globally, accounting for over 95% of the world's industrial diamond output and over 80% of the world's lab-grown diamond output. It possesses the most complete global industrial chain, with related products being critical tools for precision and ultra-precision processing in fields such as national defense, aerospace, chip industry, and infrastructure.
Henan Province is the R&D and production base for China's superhard materials, with industrial diamond and lab-grown diamond output accounting for 80% of the national total. In the superhard materials legion of Henan, there are over 30 companies with annual sales revenue exceeding 100 million yuan, mainly located in Zhengzhou, Xuchang, Nanyang, and Shangqiu.
Starting with only two diamond presses and ten employees, Huanghe Whirlwind has grown into a large-scale listed company with a total output value of over 20 billion yuan. Their "Whirlwind" brand of synthetic diamonds holds a stable position among the top three in the global market. Huanghe Whirlwind is the only company in the superhard materials industry with a complete industrial chain, covering upstream, midstream, and downstream operations, including raw materials, superhard materials, intermediate products, and end products, giving them a market and industry advantage.
Through independent innovation, over the past 40 years, Huanghe Whirlwind has overcome technical difficulties in various fields, including Polycrystalline Diamond Composite cutter, Polycrystalline Cubic Boron Nitride (PCBN), and Diamond wire saw. They have completed more than 173 provincial-level and above research and development projects, holding nearly a thousand patents, with 56 achievements reaching the domestic leading level. Their diamond tools, using pre-alloyed powder products, have solved the "neck-breaking" problem of key raw material dependency on imports and were listed as one of the National Top Six Manufacturing Industry Champion Products in 2021.
With the influence of Huanghe Whirlwind, the number of diamond manufacturing and processing-related enterprises in Xuchang has surpassed 30. In 2022, their main business revenue exceeded 20 billion yuan, making it an important artificial diamond and product production base in China and Asia.