An Iran-bound ship from China intercepted in late 2012 was found to be carrying a pile of carbon fiber made by Toray Industries Inc. and likely earmarked for use in Iran's nuclear program, a U.N. report said.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has been attempting to procure high-grade carbon fiber for use in the manufacturing of some of its centrifuge rotors," according to the report, released Friday and prepared by a panel of experts who investigated 30 cases involving inspections of a variety of dual-use items.

The ship was loaded with 1,800 bobbins weighing around 7,200 kg of the synthetic fiber, according to the report. Carbon fiber has multiple industrial uses from clothing to aircraft components and is considered essential in building high performance centrifuge devises to produce enriched uranium.