An Overview and Application of Global Non-ferrous Metals: From History to Modern Development

01 Overview of Metallic Minerals

Metallic minerals and non-metallic minerals are both important foundations for industrial and technological development, possessing unique properties and application values. Metallic minerals, namely mineral resources rich in metallic elements, are an important pillar of industrial and technological development. Among numerous minerals, metallic minerals such as hematite, magnetite, pyrite, chalcopyrite and galena, due to their unique physical and chemical properties, are widely used in various fields. Meanwhile, non-metallic minerals such as quartz, feldspar, mica, calcite, talc, gypsum and apatite, although they differ in nature, also play indispensable roles in industrial production and daily life. Especially energy minerals and gemstone minerals play a crucial role in non-metallic minerals.

Ferrous metals mainly include iron, chromium and manganese, while non-ferrous metals consist of 64 other metals. The classification of the two in China has continued since 1958. Metallic minerals can be further classified into two major categories: ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals. Ferrous metals mainly refer to iron, chromium and manganese, while non-ferrous metals cover all metals other than iron, chromium and manganese. In China, this classification standard has been in use since 1958. Among them, iron, chromium and manganese are classified as ferrous metals, while the remaining 64 metals are classified as non-ferrous metals.

02 Characteristics of Non-ferrous Metals in China

China has performed outstandingly in the field of non-ferrous metals and possesses diverse reserves of non-ferrous metals, especially tungsten, tin, molybdenum and other metals, whose reserves rank among the top in the world. Not only are there a wide variety of types, but also they are abundant in reserves and widely distributed. Especially tungsten ore, its reserves, output and export volume all rank first in the world, and it is known as the "Kingdom of Tungsten". Meanwhile, the reserves of metals such as tin, molybdenum, copper, lead, zinc, antimony and mercury also rank among the top in the world.

Metals such as aluminium and copper, due to their superior properties, have important applications in modern industry and science and technology fields. Aluminum has become an important material in aircraft manufacturing due to its light weight and high strength. Copper has shone brightly in the power and electronics industries due to its excellent electrical conductivity. Metals such as tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, nickel and cobalt are often used to manufacture special alloy steels. In addition, in the long-established Chinese character printing industry, the "lead movable type", a widely used movable type printing technology, is also closely related to non-ferrous metal alloys

03 Formation and Distribution of Non-ferrous Metals

China's abundant non-ferrous metal resources are attributed to its diverse geological conditions and the formation characteristics of endogenous minerals. Endogenous minerals constitute the main body of China's non-ferrous metal resources, and their formation is closely related to the tectonic movement of the earth's crust.

The distribution of non-ferrous metals in China is closely related to magmatic activities and geological structural belts, mainly concentrated in the northwest and Jiangnan regions. Especially in the Jiangnan region, the distribution of non-ferrous metal mines is not only concentrated but also shows obvious regularity. This area is precisely located at the intersection of the neotectonic belt and the circum-Pacific tectonic belt, making the magmatic activities during the Yanshanian Movement and the Himalayan Movement extremely intense. Therefore, China's non-ferrous metal mines are mainly distributed in the vast areas of northwest and Jiangnan. Their distribution patterns are consistent with the direction of the mountains, that is, they coincide with the fold and fault zones. Places such as the Qilian Mountains, Qinling Mountains, and Altai Mountains are all important bases for non-ferrous metal mines.

Magmatic activities of different intensities affect the formation and distribution of mineral resources. The intensity of magmatic activity varies in different regions, and thus the mineral resources formed are also different.

04 The History and Development of Non-ferrous Metals

Since the end of the 17th century, humans have gradually recognized and begun to apply eight kinds of non-ferrous metals. With the development of science and technology, the types of non-ferrous metals known to mankind are constantly increasing, which has promoted the progress of industry and technology. The rapid development of science and technology in the 18th century enabled humans to discover 13 new non-ferrous metal elements. By the 19th century, this number had soared to 39, and at the beginning of the 20th century, four more were discovered.

In modern material systems, non-ferrous metals occupy an important position in both modern material systems and information technology, and their industrial production makes significant contributions to the economy. Although the output of eight non-ferrous metals, namely copper, aluminium, lead, zinc, nickel, tin, gold and silver, accounts for only 5.4% of the total steel output, their output value is as high as over 50% of the total steel output value.

05 The Status and Challenges of the Non-ferrous Metals Industry

All countries are actively developing the non-ferrous metal industry to promote strategic reserves and the progress of related technologies. In the process of handling non-ferrous metal ores or intermediate products, as well as slag and smoke dust, various rare metals, precious metals and chemical products such as sulfuric acid can be recovered. However, the production process of non-ferrous metals generates a large amount of waste gas, waste water and waste residue, which may contain toxic substances, posing a threat to the environment and human health.

The production process of non-ferrous metals has environmental pollution problems. We need to strike a balance between resource utilization and environmental protection. In addition, compared with steel production, non-ferrous metal production usually requires more energy. Therefore, in the non-ferrous metal industry, reducing energy consumption has become an urgent issue.

06 Progress of China's Non-ferrous Metal Industry

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, China's non-ferrous metal industry has experienced rapid development and established a relatively complete production system. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, China's non-ferrous metal industry has developed rapidly. It has now established a relatively complete production system ranging from common non-ferrous metals to rare metals, and the technological level is also constantly improving.

China's non-ferrous metal industry has been continuously evolving, dedicated to technological transformation and the development of new resources to meet its development needs. China's non-ferrous metal industry covers multiple links such as geological exploration, mining, mineral processing, smelting and processing. To further enhance the efficiency of non-ferrous metal smelting and processing, new technologies, methods and equipment have been constantly emerging in the industry, such as high-pressure leaching and fluidized calcination. These innovations not only enrich the theoretical system of metallurgy, but also promote the continuous progress of non-ferrous metal production technology.