Complete Classification Table of Metal Minerals in China (2025 Edition)

I. Ferrous metal minerals ‌

Iron ‌

Main types ‌ : magnetite, hematite, limonite

Typical deposit ‌ :

Anshan BIF-type deposit (Liaoning) : TFe≥25% (after optimization of magnetic separation process)

Hainan Shilu Iron Mine: Average grade 51.2%, with the highest reaching 69%

Strategic value ‌ : Core raw material for the steel industry, domestic reserve guarantee rate to increase to 45% by 2025

Manganese ‌

Main types ‌ : manganese carbonate, manganese oxide

Economic grade ‌ : open-pit mining ≥18%, underground mining ≥25%

Application ‌ : alloy additives (stainless steel, battery cathode materials)

Chromium ‌

Main type ‌ : chromite

Import dependence ‌ : 90% dependent on imports (South Africa, kazakhstan)

Strategic reserves ‌ : The national reserve target for 2025 has been raised to 2 million tons

Vanadium ‌

Source: ‌ : vanadium-titanium magnetite (panzhihua, sichuan), stone coal associated vanadium

Extraction threshold ‌ : V₂O₅≥0.3% (comprehensive utilization of vanadium-titanium magnetite)

Emerging demand ‌ : all-vanadium REDOX flow battery energy storage technology drives demand growth

Titanium ‌

Main minerals ‌ : ilmenite, rutile

Development standard ‌ : ilmenite TiO₂≥10% (coastal placer ore)

High-end applications ‌ : aerospace titanium alloys (domestic production rate exceeds 70%)

Ii. Non-ferrous metal minerals ‌

Copper ‌

Deposit type ‌ :

Porphyry copper mine (Yulong, Xizang) : Open-pit mining threshold 0.4%-0.5%

Sandstone-type copper mine (Haojiahe, Yunnan) : Industrial grade ≥1%

Technological breakthrough ‌ : Bio-metallurgy technology enhances the economic efficiency of low-grade ore (0.15% Cu)

Lead-zinc ‌

Symbiotic system ‌ : copper-lead-zinc-silver combination (Cu≥0.5% + Pb≥1.5% + Zn≥2%)

Recycling optimization ‌ : for every $5/oz increase in silver price, the comprehensive grade requirement for lead and zinc is reduced by 0.15%

Aluminium ‌

Bauxite standard ‌ :

Shanxi Pinglu: Al₂O₃≥60%, aluminum-silicon ratio ≥6

In Debao, Guangxi: Al₂O₃≥49.5%, enhanced mineral processing is required

Energy sensitivity ‌ : for every $0.01 increase in electricity cost /kWh, the aluminum-silicon ratio demand increases by 0.8-1.2

Nickel ‌

Nickel sulfide ore ‌ (jinchuan, gansu) : industrial grade 0.3%-0.6%

Laterite nickel ore ‌ (imported from Indonesia) : Ni≥1.5% + Co≥0.1% (HPAL process)

Tin ‌

Core production areas ‌ : gejiu, yunnan; shizhuyuan, hunan

Economic grade ‌ : Sn≥0.15% for primary ore, and ≥0.03% for sand tin ore

Iii. Precious Metal minerals ‌

Kim ‌

Rock gold ‌ (Jiaojia, shandong) : deep primary ore ≥1.2g/t, shallow oxidized ore ≥0.8g/t

Associated gold ‌ (by-product of copper mine) : Au≥0.3g/t is recyclable (CIP process)

Silver ‌

Polymetallic symbiosis ‌ : Ag≥50g/t in the copper-lead-zinc-silver system

Independent silver mine ‌ : industrial grade must be ≥150g/t (cyanidation method)

Platinum group metals ‌

Main source: ‌ associated with copper-nickel sulfide (jinchuan, gansu)

Extraction standard ‌ : platinum + palladium ≥1g/t

Iv. Rare Metal Minerals ‌

Lithium ‌

Hard rock lithium ‌ (jiangxi lithium mica) : Li₂O≥0.6%

Salt lake lithium ‌ (zabuye, xizang) : lithium concentration ≥300mg/L (adsorption method)

Tungsten ‌

Mining benchmark ‌ : WO₃≥0.15% (Hunan shizhuyuan polymetallic mine)

Price elasticity ‌ : for every $50 per ton increase in tungsten price, the economic grade can decrease by 0.02%

Molybdenum ‌

Porphyry molybdenum deposit ‌ (luanchuan, henan) : Mo≥0.06%

Technology upgrade ‌ : high-pressure roller mill (HPGR) reduces energy consumption by 20%

V. Rare earth Metal Minerals ‌

Light rare earth (LREE) ‌

Baiyunebo mine ‌ : TREO≥1.2% (cerium and lanthanum dominant)

Extraction cost ‌ :

2025

The annual target has been lowered

25/kg (the target for 2025 is reduced to 18/kg)

Heavy rare earth (HREE) ‌

Ion-adsorption type ore ‌ (longnan, jiangxi) : ∑HREE≥0.05%

Strategic reserves ‌ : dysprosium and terbium are included in the national mandatory reserve list

Vi. Dispersed elemental minerals ‌

Germanium ‌

Source: ‌ : lignite associated (Inner Mongolia shengli mining area)

Recovery threshold ‌ : Ge≥20g/t (hydrometallurgy)

Gallium ‌

Bauxite associated with ‌ : Ga≥30g/t (by-product of Bayer process)

Emerging demand ‌ : demand for gallium nitride chip drivers for 5G base stations surges

Vii. Strategic Emerging Metal Minerals ‌

Cobalt ‌

Nickel-cobalt coexisting ore ‌ (democratic Republic of the Congo) : Co≥0.1% + Ni≥1.2%

Recycling ‌ : The proportion of cobalt recovered from lithium batteries has increased to 25%

Niobium tantalum ‌

Granite-type deposit ‌ (keketuohai, xinjiang) : Nb₂O₅≥0.02%

Applications of superalloys ‌ : Core materials for aero engine blades

Notes and data source: ‌

Classification basis: ‌ : refer to "Mineral Geology of China" and the 2025 strategic mineral catalogue;

Economic indicator ‌ : based on current market prices (Q2 2025 benchmark) and mainstream beneficiation and smelting technologies;

Policy impact ‌ : Adjustment thresholds for constraints such as resource tax and environmental protection standards;

Technical parameters ‌ : indicate sensitive factors such as beneficiation recovery rate and energy cost.

(Note: This table does not include radioactive metals and some ultra-light/ultra-heavy elements. For the complete list, please refer to the public notice document of the Ministry of Natural Resources.)

If detailed development parameters or dynamic economic models for specific mineral types are required, specific names can be provided for further analysis.