Currently, global technological innovation is unprecedentedly intensive and active, and the forms of technology and industry are undergoing systematic changes. Disruptive and systemic innovations in engineering science and technology have become the focus of strategic competition. Based on the development demand for engineering science and technology in China and the world trends of engineering science and technology development, this study proposes a strategic research method system that consists of economic forecasting, demand analysis, technology foresight, vision analysis, strategic architecture, technology roadmap, and policy selection. The study also predicts the economic and social development trends in China by 2040 and depicts nine visions of Chinese society in 2040. Based on the strategic research on the development of engineering science and technology in major fields, an overall strategic concept of engineering science and technology development is proposed centering on the nine visions, which involves promoting information technologies, reshaping the energy system, innovating industrial science and technologies, constructing the future cities, developing the blue economy, revitalizing agriculture and the rural areas, safeguarding the health of all the people, building a beautiful China, and constructing a safe China. An overall two-stage roadmap for engineering science and technology development between now and 2040 is also proposed. At the first stage, it is necessary to strengthen the industrial foundation and chain, achieve international leadership in major fields of engineering science and technology, and develop new areas and technologies with core competitiveness. At the second stage, it is suggested to focus on security, resilience, and original innovation and build a new technological ecosystem.
The period before 2040 is crucial for boosting China's strength in agriculture. Agriculture is the foundation of a country, and the engineering science and technologies in agriculture provide a core support for guaranteeing national food security, revitalizing rural areas in an all-round way, and boosting China's strength in agriculture. Considering the prospect of economic and social development in 2040 and the development trend of engineering science and technologies in agriculture, this study focuses on analyzing the developmental demand for a solid foundation of food security, green agricultural development, and new quality productive forces in agriculture in the next 20 years, and proposes the strategic orientation, general principles, development paths, development goals, and key tasks of engineering science and technology development in agriculture. Furthermore, it proposes the following suggestions: (1) increasing the intensity of investment in agricultural scientific and technological innovation, (2) increasing support for agricultural basic research, (3) enhancing the innovation ability of agricultural enterprises, (4) strengthening the construction of talent teams regarding agricultural science and technologies, (5) accelerating the transformation and application of agricultural scientific and technological achievements, (6) increasing the deployment and construction of agricultural scientific and technological forces at the national level, (7) building a national scientific and technological innovation system, and (8) deepening international agricultural scientific and technological cooperation, so as to comprehensively enhance the independent innovation, international competitiveness, and sustainable development capabilities of agricultural science and technologies and promote high-quality agricultural development.
Promoting the low-carbon and intelligent development of the metallurgical industry and establishing a low-carbon metallurgical industry system are crucial for ensuring national metal resource and energy security, strengthening the manufacturing sector, and supporting carbon reduction and ecological construction in China. Based on a global perspective, the metallurgical industry of China is still at a stage of low-end manufacturing. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct the top-level design to boost China's strength in metallurgical development, integrating the independent control of metal resources, intelligent manufacturing, environmental protection, and national security maintenance as an organic whole. This study summarizes the frontiers and development trends of metallurgical engineering science and technology worldwide, analyzes the development vision of metallurgical engineering science and technology in China, and proposes medium- and long-term strategic measures for China's metallurgical engineering technology development toward 2040, involving general development ideas, key strategic tasks, and main technology development directions. Furthermore, the following countermeasures are proposed: (1) developing disruptive technologies in the metallurgical field in advance, (2) integrating the industrial and innovation chains of the metallurgical industry, (3) building a sophisticated talent system, (4) improving the policy and standards systems, and (5) constructing driving forces for core technology development.
As one of the most important high-tech fields, the field of information and electronics has a significant impact on national competitiveness and has become a key area for all countries. Using literature analysis and investigation research, this study summarizes the advantages and problems of the information and electronics field in China and explores the key requirements for strengthening the information and electronics field. Facing the major demand of China for development strategies, this study devises development strategies for the information and electronics field and proposes development suggestions for the field from the aspects of strategic planning, systematic development, dual-carbon fusion, and talent development. Specifically, the suggestions include (1) implementing strategic planning to improve the systematic layout of the information and electronics field; (2) improving the fundamental support and frontier guiding capabilities of the information and electronics field; (3) accelerating the integration of industrial and innovation chains, focusing on boosting China's strength in cyber and digital sectors; and (4) strengthening the cultivation of professional personnel in basic research and technological engineering in the information and electronics field.
Engineering science and technologies in the medicine and health care field in China have been developing rapidly in recent years, which has provided technological support for the disease prevention and health industry of the country and made outstanding achievements in many aspects. However, compared with the advanced international level, there remain various problems in this field in China, including the lack of basic research, a low level of precision medicine, lacking innovation in research on new drugs, insufficient capabilities to identify and respond to major epidemic outbreaks, gaps in research on key technologies of medical equipment, and imperfect methods for evaluating the effects of traditional Chinese medicine. This study analyzes the worldwide development trends of engineering science and technologies in the field of medicine and health care, explores the development trends and challenges of the field in China, and proposes the following countermeasures: (1) optimizing talent cultivation and interdisciplinary collaboration by innovating funding evaluation and incentive mechanisms; (2) improving medicine and health-care strategies and systems to create a full-lifecycle health service system; (3) accelerating drug innovation and achievement transformation while strengthening full-lifecycle management; (4) reforming the disease prevention and control system and enhancing public health security management; (5) promoting the innovation and standardization of medical technologies by building key technology platforms; and (6) strengthening the development strategy of traditional Chinese medicine by promoting technological innovation and improving grassroots services. This study aims to promote the engineering and technological level of China's medicine and health care field to a new height and better satisfy people's health needs in China.
Aeronautical engineering science and technologies involve multiple disciplines, high technical risks, large capital investment, and long development cycles; therefore, a long-term, stable development strategy is needed to achieve breakthroughs regarding the key core technologies of aeronautical engineering science and technologies and to realize the sustainable development of the aeronautical industry. This study summarizes the global development trend and China's development status of aeronautical engineering science and technologies from four aspects: civil aircraft, aero engine, airborne system, and air traffic control system. It also identifies the development deficiencies in terms of basic research and technical reserves; system integration and product system research; aero engine technology; airborne system research, development, and testing; aeronautical maintenance capabilities; and industrial software and basic components. On this basis, a 20-year development vision for aeronautical engineering science and technologies in China is proposed, as well as key directions for future project deployment: supersonic passenger aircraft, high-speed rotorcraft, new energy aircraft, hybrid electric propulsion systems, next-generation air traffic control technologies, intelligent passenger aircraft, all-composite aero engines, and intelligent repair technologies for composite materials. Furthermore, the study suggests incorporating aeronautical power construction into national medium- and long-term strategic planning, strengthening the construction of a scientific and technological innovation system, enhancing interdisciplinary cooperation, and emphasizing international collaboration, thereby precisely supporting the development of aeronautical engineering science and technologies in the next 20 years..
Safety is the basis of human survival and development. Building a higher level of Peaceful China is crucial for achieving high-quality development in the new stage. This study aims to look forward to the long-term goals by 2040, thus to support the conception of development strategies as well as the deployment of engineering science and technology projects for the construction of public safety. Considering the new situations and technologies, this study analyzes the development status and the state-of-the-art level of public security science and technologies worldwide. Focusing on the aspects of natural disaster prevention, accident disaster prevention, safe and resilient cities, and comprehensive emergency management, this study analyzes the development needs of public safety science and technologies in China. Based on this, it proposes the idea, strategic objectives, and an overall framework for the development of public safety science and technologies in China and summarizes the development directions, covering key engineering tasks, basic research directions, and major engineering projects. With regard to the path of scientific and technological development in the field of public safety in China, development proposals are made in terms of policy and research systems.
The proposal of carbon neutrality has accelerated the process of energy revolution and plays a significant role in promoting the development of emerging energy and building a modern energy system. This study focuses on three key fields: energy saving and carbon emission reduction; construction of a new power system; and carbon capture, storage and utilization. It sorts out nine trends in carbon neutrality worldwide and proposes the development vision and strategic goals for carbon neutrality toward 2040. Moreover, this study analyzes the challenges faced by carbon neutrality and proposes a development path for engineering science and technology in the key fields of carbon neutrality, which involves ten key technologies, nine key tasks, four major engineering projects, and three major science and technology projects. Furthermore, this study proposes four supporting measures: (1) strengthening the implementation and management of an energy-saving priority strategy, (2) promoting the development of advanced scientific instruments and the establishment of scientific platforms, (3) leveraging the role of central enterprises as the main force of innovation, and (3) reinforcing financial and tax support for the technique of carbon capture, utilization and storage, thereby providing references for the scientific research in the key fields of carbon neutrality in China.
China's marine equipment application technologies have developed rapidly in recent years; however, basic technologies remain weak. Accelerating the breakthroughs of key basic technologies for marine equipment is crucial for enhancing the marine strength of China. This study analyzes the development demand of China for marine equipment, summarizes the essence of key basic technologies of marine equipment, and clarifies the global frontiers and development trends of marine equipment technologies from three aspects: marine transportation equipment, marine resource development equipment, and marine scientific research equipment. Moreover, it reviews the development status and major problems of China's marine equipment technologies, identifies ten key basic technologies that have a significant impact on the marine equipment industry, and outlines the development goals, roadmap, and key tasks of these key basic technologies. Safeguard measures are further proposed, including (1) emphasizing basic technology research for marine equipment to strengthen the top-level design for innovation, (2) advancing the construction of a multi-dimensional collaborative innovation system for the key basic technologies, and (3) promoting the globalization of China-led marine technologies and equipment.
Airborne geophysical exploration is an important and rapid method for mineral prospecting. China's airborne geophysical exploration technology has made great progress in the 21st century. However, existing technologies and equipment can hardly satisfy the new demand for key prospecting technologies and equipment for deep-Earth and deep-sea exploration in the new round of mineral prospecting breakthroughs in China. Focusing on the high-quality development of airborne geophysical exploration technologies in China, this study summarizes the development status of these technologies in China and abroad, evaluates the technological competition and development trends, and analyzes the major challenges faced by China in this field. Considering the new changes, characteristics, and trends of scientific and technological development, this study proposes a development roadmap of China's airborne geophysics exploration technologies, aiming at frontier technologies, such as superconducting sensors, full-tensor airborne-gravity gradient, full-tensor aeromagnetic gradient, multi-field-source full-depth airborne electromagnetism, and airborne seismic survey, as well as practical technologies urgently needed for the new round of mineral prospecting breakthroughs. Given the weaknesses in frontier research capability, technical adaptability, and innovation foundation, it is proposed to establish a national innovation center for airborne geophysical technologies, conduct the research and development of the fourth-generation airborne geophysical exploration technology, and build an integrated development system for airborne geophysical technical equipment.
The Research on the Technology Foresight of China's Engineering Science and Technologies Toward 2040 is jointly organized by the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. As an important component of the research on China's engineering science and technology development strategy to 2040, it aims to predict the general trend of scientific and technological development and clarifying the key engineering science and technologies and development directions that may yield major breakthroughs. To improve the forward-looking and scientific nature of the technology foresight, this study evaluates the effectiveness of the technology foresight from two aspects: application of the technology foresight methodology and impact of the foresight results. Following the idea of emphasizing demand traction and vision drive as well as combining expert judgment and multi-source big data intelligent analysis, this study designed a methodology system, developed the intelligent Support System (iSS) for strategic studies on engineering science and technology, and constructed a standardized process centered on experts, supported by data, and facilitated by interaction, thus to push forward the implementation of the technology foresight. The study has formed a list of alternative technologies containing over 900 items in 11 fields, conducted two rounds of Delphi expert surveys, and proposed 110 domain core technologies, 25 key common technologies, and 21 disruptive technologies, thereby providing an important support for the research on China's engineering science and technology development strategy to 2040.
The near space is crucial for national security; it is an important carrier for new combat forces and a new space domain for international cooperation and competition. By analyzing the significance of the near space, this study clarifies the new situation of near space development worldwide, summarizes the current status and existing problems of near space development in China, and proposes corresponding measures. Our research indicates that near space technologies are developing rapidly worldwide, countries around the world are continuously innovating in near space management exploration, and the global near space governance is accelerating. China leads the world in near space development in terms of technical strength, application strength, and support strength; however, it still faces some risks and challenges. Therefore, concerted efforts should be made from the following aspects: development strategy, key technology development and management, application technologies and engineering innovation, law guarantee, risk response, international governance, laboratory system construction, and talent cultivation, thereby enhancing the comprehensive competitiveness and influence of China in the field of near space.
The near space serves as a transition area between airspace and the outer space, and it has unique strategic values and broad application prospects, attracting countries to compete for development. This study expounds on the characteristics of the near space and international community's views on the demarcation and definition of the near space. It analyzes the development trends and competitiveness of the near space field in major countries and regions such as the United States, Europe, and Russia. Moreover, risks regarding national security, flight safety, technological lag, and technology surprise are explored, as well as challenges faced by near-space development in China in terms of aircraft technologies, economic sustainability, and policies and regulations. Furthermore, countermeasures and suggestions for China to cope with international competition and achieve comprehensive development in the near space field are proposed, including: (1) strengthening the research on near-space defense technologies; (2) accelerating the formulation of flight safety standards and regulations; (3) overcoming bottlenecks that restrain aircraft research, development, and application; and (4) increasing the application of disruptive innovation technologies.
The unique position of near space makes its network, centered around various near-space vehicles, a critical component of the integrated air-space-ground network. The near-space network transmits, processes, and stores a large amount of high-value, sensitive data, making its security protection crucial. This paper outlines the composition of the near-space network, its connections with other nodes, and potential network applications. Based on an analysis of its vulnerabilities, we identify security requirements in areas such as identity authentication, data security, network availability, and vehicle control. The zero-trust architecture, an important trend in network security, is scientifically and reasonably extended to near-space network protection. Accordingly, we propose a zero-trust architecture for near-space networks, discussing in detail its overall architecture, evaluation model, access control model, and policy definition framework. Furthermore, we address challenges such as the significant initial workload of information processing, the high complexity of policy formulation and maintenance, and the deployment difficulty due to unclear network architecture. Furthermore, we explore the application value of new technologies, development concepts, and implementation points in deploying the zero-trust architecture for near-space networks.
Currently, the global aerospace information industry is accelerating its transition toward commercialization. Technological advances and reduced costs are encouraging an increasing number of companies to enter the aerospace information sector, driving the marketization and intensifying the competition in the industry. The rapid development of China's aerospace industry in recent years has led to an initially scaled market. Further developing the commercial aerospace information industry is crucial for strengthening the aerospace sector of China. Based on the development status of China's commercial aerospace information industry and focusing on space application, this study summarizes the main architecture and development trends of China's commercial aerospace information industry. Moreover, it identifies the key technologies that support the high-quality development of the industry, involving satellite-payload integrated manufacturing, advanced photoelectric payloads, high-speed and high-security communications, as well as advanced remote-sensing data products and services. After reviewing the current status and existing problems of China's commercial aerospace information industry, we propose the following suggestions: (1) building an industry development ecosystem, (2) supporting downstream enterprises regarding data processing and application, (3) promoting the commercialization of aerospace information, (4) fostering talent aggregation, (5) expediting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and (6) deepening production-education-research cooperation.
Agriculture is the foundation of a nation for achieving high-quality development and ensuring national security. This study establishes an index system for evaluating the construction of a strong agricultural country with Chinese characteristics, clarifies the problems and challenges faced by China, and proposes relevant countermeasures. Research indicates that China has a good foundation in ensuring the supply of agricultural products and enhancing the resilience of the agricultural industry. However, there remain major problems to be addressed regarding the supply of food and important agricultural products, agricultural technologies and equipment, agricultural management systems, resilience of the agricultural industry and supply chains, market competitiveness of agricultural products, and farmer income and rural development. To promote the high-quality development of agriculture in China, this study proposes the following countermeasures: (1) enhancing the supply capacity of China in terms of grain and important agricultural products, (2) improving the level of agricultural technologies and equipment, (3) strengthening the agricultural management system, (4) enhancing the resilience of the agricultural industry, (5) boosting agricultural competitiveness, and (6) promoting the common prosperity of farmers and rural areas.
Ensuring food security is crucial for national security and development, and is an important foundation for promoting sustained economic development and maintaining long-term social stability. Based on the perspective of stable production, this study analyzes the current status and characteristics of grain production in China, clarifies the major problems, and proposes relevant countermeasures and suggestions. Research has found that in recent years, the sown area of grain in China has remained stable; the total and unit yield levels of grain have increased; the focus of grain production has continuously shifted northward; the scale, mechanization, quality, and safety levels of grain production have improved; and the overall situation of grain production is improving. However, China's grain production still faces significant pressure to further increase output, there is still room for improvement in sowing area and yield level, regional supply-demand contradictions are prominent, the problem of reduced quantity and quality of cultivated land is significant, the enthusiasm of government and farmers for grain production is weakened, and financial services for new agricultural business entities lag behind. In view of this, this study proposes policy recommendations for strengthening the responsibilities of the government for food security and farmland protection, improving the self-sufficiency of grain in major sales areas and production-sales balance areas, implementing a new round of action to increase grain production capacity, launching projects to increase corn yield and farmland quality, promoting the sustainable and healthy development of the soybean industry, improving food production support policies, and increasing the supply of rural financial services.
Food security is of paramount importance to a country. Therefore, it is vital to develop food resources in an all-round and multi-channel way to satisfy people's diversified food-consumption needs. It is necessary to stick to an all-encompassing approach to food and fully develop food resources in forests and grasslands, thereby supporting the historic transformation from "having enough to eat" to "eating well". This study summarizes the general situation and industrial development status of food resources in forests and grasslands of China, analyzes the development potentials of these food resources, and proposes paths for realizing the potentials. It is suggested to strengthen the top-level design to create a national food resource layout system while sticking to an all-encompassing approach to food. Basic research and applied technology development should be consistently conducted to support the scientific and technological innovation in the whole industry chain of food resources in forests and grasslands. Additionally, it is necessary to build a market- and consumer-demand-oriented mechanism for the development and utilization of food resources in forests and grasslands, and improve the safeguard measures for the high-quality development of the forest and grassland food industry, so as to store the grain productivity in forests and grasslands and make positive contributions in ensuring China's food security, providing multiple food supplies, and promoting rural revitalization.
Over the past 20 years, several emerging zoonotic epidemics have spread across the word, causing significant threats to human health, economic and social development, and agricultural security. This study reviews the current prevention and control situation worldwide, including the continuous emergence of new zoonoses, resurgence of existing zoonoses, acceleration of the spread of zoonoses through global integration, and impact of the new world pattern on the global prevention and control of zoonoses. Moreover, the study summarizes China's major achievements in the effective prevention and control of new epizoonoses such as COVID-19, the effective control or elimination of common zoonoses such as schistosomiasis, the advances in scientific and technological innovation, and the support of policies and laws for the prevention and control of zoonoses. The prominent problems in the field of zoonotic disease prevention and control in China include (1) the frequent occurrence of new and old zoonotic diseases and increased risk of introduction of zoonotic diseases from abroad, leading to serious drug resistance; (2) weak innovation abilities in prevention and control technologies and products; (3) inadequate prevention and control at the source and an imperfect prevention and control mechanism at the grassroots level; and (4) limited channels of international exchange and cooperation. A scientific and technological innovation system in zoonotic disease prevention and control is proposed and covers eight research directions: aetiology and epidemiology, structural and functional analysis of pathogens, immunity mechanisms and pathogenesis, diagnostic reagents, new vaccines, new drugs, disease-resistant breeding, and integrated prevention and purification of diseases, aiming to enhance the scientific and technological strength of zoonose prevention and control in China. Furthermore, the prevention and control strategies of zoonotic diseases in China are proposed. A plan should be implemented for purifying and eradicating major zoonotic diseases such as rabies, brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, and echinococcosis in animal populations, so as to gradually eliminate some existing diseases. Meanwhile, new and sudden zoonoses should be prevented by closely monitoring the epidemic dynamics, strengthening the technical reserves for prevention and control, and efficiently responding to sudden imported cases.
Ecological environment monitoring is an essential foundation for ecological and environmental protection and will play a key role in building a grand ecological and environmental protection and governance framework. Although China has built a large-scale, comprehensive, and well-structured ecological environment monitoring network, it is insufficient to meet the major national demands of the new era, such as reducing pollution and carbon emissions, ecological protection and restoration, and addressing climate change. This study elaborates on the development demand of China for an ecological environment monitoring network system, outlining the current status of the system in terms of monitoring network, monitoring technologies and equipment, monitoring indicators, and monitoring applications. It further identifies existing problems, including the lack of an integrated ecological environment monitoring network, shortage of independent and advanced monitoring equipment, delayed development of indicators and insufficient data processing and sharing, as well as lack of an integrated coordination and support mechanism. The study argues for several key tasks to address these problems, including integrating the ecological environment monitoring network, advancing the independent development of monitoring technologies and equipment, unifying the monitoring indicator system, and integrating the applications of the ecological environment monitoring network. The study also proposes the following recommendations: (1) building an ecological environment monitoring system that integrates air, space, land, and sea, (2) promoting the independent research and development of monitoring equipment and its application, (3) establishing a new system for ecological environment monitoring standards, technologies, and services, (4) ensuring the healthy development of the integrated monitoring network system, and (5) launching major scientific projects and prioritizing monitoring applications in typical regions. This study is expected to serve as a reference for the research, construction, and application of the integrated ecological environment monitoring network system in China.
Aluminum is the most widely used non-ferrous metal. Promoting the low-carbon, clean, and intelligent development of the aluminum metallurgy is crucial for implementing the new development philosophy and cultivating new quality productive forces. This study delves into the historical background and projected trajectory of China's aluminum industry, shedding light on the ecological links and pivotal intricacies of aluminum smelting processes. Subsequently, the study conducts a thorough analysis of the technical status and prevailing challenges across three crucial domains: the energy-saving, low-carbon, and intelligent aluminum electrolysis; the low-carbon and clean production of alumina using aluminum-containing resources; and the safe disposal and recycling of hazardous solid wastes in aluminum industry. Based on a thorough assessment of resources, energy, and environmental factors, we establish fundamental principles for fostering the innovative development of a low-carbon, clean, and intelligent aluminum metallurgy. For each critical process, we outline an innovative development roadmap, highlight key technologies, and set ambitious development goals for 2035. To achieve these goals, the following measures are proposed: improving the national policy system, formulating a high-quality standards system, enhancing the industrial security system, accelerating the green and low-carbon technology transformation, and strengthening the nation through human resources.
Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries are widely used in electric vehicles and energy storage applications owing to their excellent cycling stability, high safety, and low cost. The continuous increase in market holdings has drawn greater attention to the recycling of used LiFePO4 batteries. However, the inherent value attributes of LiFePO4 are not prominent and the comprehensive recycling technology faces significant barriers; therefore, high-value recovery of used LiFePO4 batteries remains a critical issue in the recycling of LiFePO4 batteries. This study summarizes the retirement and regeneration pathways of LiFePO4 batteries, reviewing the research progress in the regeneration of LiFePO4 cathode wastes from the perspectives of pretreatment and resource regeneration. It concludes that direct regeneration has greater application potentials but remains at an initial research stage while indirect regeneration is suitable for situations with complex raw materials or high-value resource reserves. Focusing on the industrial development of LiFePO4 cathode waste regeneration, this study identifies three key factors for industrialization: prerequisites for development, critical development aspects, and developmental guarantees. It showcases the short-range recycling technology for all components of LiFePO4, along with application cases of production lines at the scale of ten thousand tons. Furthermore, it elaborates on trends in the development of lithium-ion battery recycling technologies, including residual energy detection for retired batteries, intelligent disassembly pretreatment, and direct regeneration of cathode wastes. The challenges faced in the application of LiFePO4 battery recycling technologies include the complexity regarding raw material sources and usage conditions, the removal of various metal impurities, and the upgrading of cathode materials. Furthermore, the study proposes the following development recommendations: (1) establishing standardized management and efficient recovery channels, (2) accelerating breakthroughs in key technologies and their application conversion, and (3) enhancing publicity and promotion efforts to improve market acceptance. These strategies aim to streamline the innovation pathway of LiFePO4 batteries from fundamental research to industrialization, promoting LiFePO4 battery recycling and the green development of related industries.
The beneficiation, smelting and material processing of lithium, beryllium, tantalum, and niobium (Li-Be-Ta-Nb) resources is a core link for ensuring the safe supply of resources in China. In view of the complexity in resource endowment and the ecological fragility in mining areas in China, it is necessary to accelerate the formation of a beneficiation-smelting-material processing technology system for the Li-Be-Ta-Nb resources that adapts to China's resource characteristics. Focusing on the entire Li-Be-Ta-Nb industry chain including resource exploration, ore beneficiation, smelting, and material processing, this study summarizes the situation of Li-Be-Ta-Nb resources as well as the development status of the Li-Be-Ta-Nb beneficiation-smelting-material processing industry in China. Moreover, it analyzes the basic characteristics of contemporary of Li-Be-Ta-Nb beneficiation-smelting-material processing, clarifies the problems existing in Li-Be-Ta-Nb resource exploration and beneficiation-smelting-material processing, and provides the prospect of beneficiation-smelting-material processing and comprehensive utilization of Li-Be-Ta-Nb resources. The key tasks for the beneficiation-smelting-material processing of Li-Be-Ta-Nb resources identified in this study include (1) strengthening exploration efforts in key mining areas, (2) establishing a comprehensive beneficiation-smelting-material processing technology system for co-existing resources of hard-rock lithium mines, (3) achieving breakthroughs in key technologies regarding the clean and efficient extraction of lithium from refractory liquid-lithium resources, (4) improving the production capacity of high-end beryllium, tantalum, and niobium materials, (5) strengthening research on the comprehensive utilization of tailings, and (6) establishing a recycling system for lithium secondary resources. Furthermore, the study proposes the following safeguard measures: (1) strengthening resource exploration, (2) establishing a strategic reserve mechanism, (3) reinforcing the comprehensive utilization of low-grade resources and the technological innovation in high-end materials preparation, (4) providing policy support for beryllium mining, beneficiation, and smelting enterprises, (5) supporting the industrial development in key provinces, (6) establishing centralized smelting plants at the regional level, and (7) encouraging Chinese companies to invest overseas in resource development, thereby promoting the high-quality development of the beneficiation-smelting-material processing and comprehensive utilization of Li-Be-Ta-Nb resources and ensuring the supply security of Li-Be-Ta-Nb resources.
This Issue
Oct 2024, Volume 26 Issue 5