The world's largest rare earth mine has been mined as iron ore for more than 60 years

▲The Baiyun Obo Mine taken on August 19th.

Rare earths are known as the "universal soil" and are widely used in new energy, new materials, aerospace, electronic information and other fields.

Production first, export first, application first.

Baiyun Obo Mine, located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is recognized as the largest rare earth mine in the world.

Experts suggest that the Baiyun Obo mine should be found out as soon as possible, make up for the shortcomings of basic research, establish a unified national trading platform, strive to build a rare earth power, and promote high-quality development.

Has been mined as iron ore for more than 60 years

Rare earth is an important strategic resource as well as a non-renewable resource.

The Baiyun Obo Mine in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is the only mine in the world that contains 17 rare earth elements at the same time.

Yang Zhanfeng, vice chairman of the Chinese Rare Earth Society and director of the State Key Laboratory of Baiyun Obo Rare Earth Resources Research and Comprehensive Utilization, said that the current data on the rare earth reserves of the Baiyun Obo Mine adopted by the industry is still the evaluation result of the 1950s.

　　Fan Hongrui, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that at first the ore body was thought to be an inverted bowl shape.
Later, the ore body was thought to be like a big iron pot.
It stretches down like a "big board", I don't know how deep it is.

　　Fan Hongrui believes that the rare earths in Bayan Obo are actually not only currently generally believed to account for 83.
7% of my country's reserves, but it may exceed the world's current proven reserves of 120 million tons.
"

　　The huge reserves of light rare earths in Bayan Obo Mine is the consensus of the industry, but heavy rare earths cannot be ignored.
"Although the proportion of Baiyun Obo medium and heavy rare earths is very low, because of its high total rare earth content and large total reserves, the total amount of medium and heavy rare earths is still at the million-ton level.
" said Zhao Dianqing, chairman of North Rare Earth Group.

　　In addition, the Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology Baiyun Obo Mine Rare Earth and Niobium Resource Efficient Utilization Laboratory has found that the contents of niobium and thorium, which are important raw materials for the nuclear industry, are currently ranked second in the world.

　　Many experts said that due to historical reasons, the mining of the Baiyun Obo Mine is relatively extensive, and other mineral resources contained in the iron ore, along with the beneficiation slag and waste water, enter the tailings reservoir and have not been effectively used.

　　At the beginning of the mining of the Baiyun Obo Mine, there was a dispute over the positioning of "iron-based" or "rare-earth-based".
"At that time, the level of rare earth research was limited, and the country was in urgent need of steel, so in 1965 the policy of'mainly iron, comprehensive utilization' was determined.
" Yang Zhanfeng said.

　　However, since the Baiyun Obo Iron Mine was officially put into operation in 1957, 63 years have passed since then, which has long exceeded the 50-year design limit for iron ore mining.
At present, it has entered deep open-pit mining, the mining cost is getting higher and higher, the economic value is decreasing, and the production capacity is continuously decreasing.

　　The industry believes that after more than 60 years of mining, the historical mission of Baiyun Obo Iron Mine has come to an end.
The Baotou Iron and Steel Group, which has developed by relying on the Baiyun Obo Mine, is also seeking strategic transformation.

　　“Since 2016, Baotou Steel has implemented a strategic transformation focusing on rare earths, and the scale of the rare earth industry has continued to expand.
In 2019, the operating income of rare earths reached 18 billion yuan.
” The principal of Baotou Steel Group said that for more than 60 years, Baotou Steel’s destiny has always been The construction and development of the Republic are connected.
At the beginning of New China, steel was urgently needed.
Baotou Iron & Steel was born as the first batch of steel companies.
Now that the domestic steel production capacity is surplus, Baotou Iron & Steel should also actively transform and look for a new historical mission.

　　Yang Zhanfeng and others believe that with the end of the iron ore mining period, the Baiyun Obo Mine should be repositioned and re-understood, and Baotou Steel's transformation and upgrading into a world-class rare earth industry leader and the world's best rare earth steel production base.

　　"We can no longer mine as iron.
" An interviewed expert said frankly, "The Baiyun Obo Mine is a unique treasure given to us by God.
Under the background of the world’s unprecedented emphasis on strategic minerals, it is necessary for the country to organize a team of experts to re-launch.
Research on geological exploration of Bayan Obo mine, find out the background, reposition its mineral value, and enhance the strategic position of Bayan Obo mine resources.
"

　　"With the successive discoveries of new rare earth deposits around the world and deep-sea potential rare earth resources, my country's existing rare earth resource advantages are facing severe challenges.
" Yang Zhanfeng said, it is urgent to find out the exact background of strategic mineral resources such as rare earth and niobium in the Bayan Obo deposit.
, To provide a scientific basis for the country to formulate long-term strategic policies.

　　Chi Jianyi, director of the Baotou Rare Earth R&D Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and others suggested that, based on the mineral resources of Baiyun Obo, formulate a national development plan for the utilization and application of rare earth resources, treat heavy rare earths and light rare earths differently, and treat heavy rare earth resources as national strategic resources.
Light rare earth resources operate in accordance with the law of market supply and demand to ensure the balanced development of national strategic needs and the downstream application market of rare earths.

　　Yang Zhanfeng and others suggested that relying on the “big project, large project” of Baiyun Obo mineral resources, a demonstration industry for the comprehensive recycling and utilization of useful components such as 100,000-ton rare earth extraction and processing, 10,000-ton niobium metal smelting, etc.
, will be formed to make the world-class Baoshan——Baiyun Ebo Mine better serves the national strategy.

　　Lack of talents restricts my country's rare earth science and technology research and development

　　"For every six new technological inventions in the world today, one is inseparable from rare earths.
" Fan Hongrui said.

　　The reporter found that my country's rare earth research and development, especially in basic research, has experienced various degrees of "disruption", and core technologies have been "stuck".
For many years, it has been difficult to get rid of "digging and selling soil" and rare earths sold at "cabbage prices.
" Embarrassment.

　　"The fundamental reason lies in the backwardness of research and development, especially basic research, and few people care about it, and a large number of core technology patents are purchased from abroad.
" Chi Jianyi said frankly.

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