Basic Situation Of Tantalum And Niobium Industry

Basic situation of tantalum and niobium industry

Tantalum and niobium belong to the same family of elements in the periodic table of elements. They have similar physical and chemical properties and coexist in the same ore body. Therefore, they are called "twin brothers" in metals. Tantalum and niobium are both refractory (high melting point) Rare metals have a series of characteristics such as high melting point, high boiling point, low vapor pressure, good cold working performance, high chemical stability, strong resistance to liquid metal and acid and alkali corrosion, and high dielectric constant of the oxide film.

Because a thin and dense passivation oxide film is formed on the surface of tantalum and niobium metals, which can protect the underlying metal layer from corrosion, tantalum and niobium metals and their alloys are used in mineral acids (inorganic acids), organic acids, liquid metals and large Excellent anti-corrosion properties are found in most salts.

China is very short of tantalum and niobium mineral resources and mainly relies on foreign imports. Tantalum and niobium mineral resources are characterized by dispersed veins, complex mineral composition, low tantalum and niobium grade in raw ore, and fine particle size of tantalum and niobium minerals. They are mainly distributed in Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Xinjiang and Fujian.

At present, the Yichun tantalum and niobium mine is the only tantalum and niobium resource mine with economic value in China, and has formed a mining enterprise with large-scale mining and dressing capabilities. However, due to reasons such as low recovery rate and failure to meet production standards, the actual production in 2018 was only 20 tons/month, which failed to alleviate the pressure of insufficient tantalum and niobium raw materials in China.

China's smelting and processing enterprises are mainly distributed in Ningxia, Jiangxi, Hunan and Guangdong. There are currently more than 10, forming an industrial group with a diversified capital structure such as state-owned, Sino-foreign joint ventures, foreign-funded enterprises, and private enterprises. Products include compounds, metals , alloys and products, with a complete range of products, it is the world's major tantalum processing country. Tantalum and niobium are important raw materials indispensable for the development of the national economy and national defense industry.

Especially in the development of modern high-tech, tantalum and niobium have been increasingly widely used, opening up better development prospects for the future of the tantalum and niobium industry.

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