Baotou rare Earth High-tech Zone: Yao Science and Technology Spirit to create rare Earth Industry

Recently, in the innovative Industrial Park of Baotou rare Earth Research and Development Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Baotou Zhongke Ceramic Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zhongke Ceramics") held a project signing ceremony with Inner Mongolia China-Japan Friendship language training Center.

The two sides reached an agreement on the market promotion of rare earth glaze antibacterial porcelain under Zhongke Ceramics' brand. in the future, the rare earth glaze antibacterial ceramics produced by Baotou will enter the Japanese tea ceremony market.

Zhongke Ceramics is a comprehensive high-tech enterprise incubated by Baotou rare Earth Research and Development Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences, which integrates ceramic research and development, production and sales. Its phased success not only provides experience for the high-end development of the rare earth industry, but also embodies the scientific spirit of scientific and technological talents. As we all know, in the value chain of rare earth products, the value-added ratio of rare earth concentrates, separation products, new materials and high-performance devices is about 1-10-100-100, while the rare earth industry in Baotou rare Earth High-tech Zone is concentrated in rare earth mining, smelting separation and other links, resulting in the scientific and technological content of rare earth products to be improved and the added value of products to be improved.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has always been concerned about the "capital of rare earths". During his inspection tour of Inner Mongolia in 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping asked Inner Mongolia to change the extensive development model of "digging and selling soil". In 2018, when General Secretary Xi Jinping attended the deliberation of the Inner Mongolia delegation to the first session of the 13th National people's Congress, he further urged "to be based on the advantages of energy resources, extend the industrial chain, speed up the transformation of traditional industries and traditional enterprises with high and new technology and advanced practical technologies, change the extensive resource development model of digging coal and selling soil, and improve the efficiency of comprehensive utilization of energy resources." From "digging and selling soil" to "developing modern energy economy", General Secretary Xi Jinping's earnest expectation for "the capital of rare earths" has broadened the train of thought and pointed out the direction for Baotou rare earth industry.

Only by doing meritorious service can one become successful, but only by doing so can one have a "the development of the rare earth industry is inseparable from the hard work of the vast number of scientific researchers, especially their pragmatic and persistent spirit, which makes the development of the rare earth industry into the fast lane." Wu Tieshan, director of the Bureau of Industrial Credit and Safety Supervision of Baotou rare Earth High-tech Zone in Inner Mongolia, said.

Get rid of the financial dilemma

The way of industrialization of rare Earth hydrogen Storage Technology

In December 2018, China's first new rare earth hydrogen storage technology production line with independent intellectual property rights was successfully completed. In June 2019, some of the first batch of products have finished safety testing and gone off the line, and the products meet the design requirements, and have been applied and promoted in many Ni-MH battery enterprises, breaking Japan's monopoly on China in the new rare earth A2B7 hydrogen storage technology, industrial technology and products.

This is the development process of Baotou Zhongke Xuanda New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zhongke Xuanda").

"in fact, it is not easy to do this, and our enterprise almost died." Han Shumin, a professor at the School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering at Yanshan University, still has lingering fears when he talks about starting a business.

According to Han Shumin, compared with the current more popular lithium battery, the advantage of rare earth hydrogen storage battery is that the hydrogen storage system is safer and environmentally friendly, and the temperature range is wider. When the lithium battery reaches more than ten degrees below zero in winter, Discharge is very fast, while the low temperature of the hydrogen storage battery can reach 40 to 60 degrees below zero, which is more suitable for the northern region, so it has high scientific research value.

As we all know, Japan has always taken the lead in this field of technology. Since 2000, Han Shumin has conducted systematic and in-depth studies on the preparation technology, phase structure and electrochemical properties of rare earth-magnesium-nickel-based hydrogen storage alloys, revealing the formation mechanism and electrochemical characteristics of the special superstacking structure of this kind of alloys. According to the microscopic characteristics of the materials, a set of alloy preparation technology and equipment with independent intellectual property rights have been developed to break the technical blockade in this field in Japan. Greatly improve the performance index of hydrogen storage alloy electrode materials and the technical level of production process and equipment.

With this technology and registered capital of 5 million yuan, a production demonstration line of new rare earth magnesium nickel based hydrogen storage alloy electrode material with a production capacity of 200t / a has been established. The construction of the pilot line cost almost all the money. However, in order to verify the matching degree between the material and the battery, it is also necessary to take the material to some factories in Hunan to do experiments. The process of doing the experiment is very long, and there is no income during the experiment. Because there is no income, the project is basically at a standstill.

In order to tide over the difficult period, Han Shumin sorted out the project book and introduced the project to China Science Innovation (the investment company of Xi'an Chinese Academy of Sciences), which happened to be laying out the new energy track, which was finally arranged at 60 million yuan.

Han Shumin solved the problem of funds. This financing method is also the first precedent for Baotou to introduce foreign investment. It has successfully avoided the embarrassing situation that the new R & D institutions are empty or barely maintained when the first funds are used up.

Han Shumin's insistence has brought the company a fresh start and enabled this technology to be applied on a large scale in the rare earth industry, which is the "stubbornness" of rare earth researchers.

Solve the dilemma of promotion

The shining road of agriculture with rare earth light source

Zhang Tong, a doctor of agriculture, is the director of the "rare earth agricultural light source" project at the Baotou rare Earth Research and Development Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Every day, she regularly opens the shading curtain around the plant culture rack and takes a close look at the fruits and vegetables she takes care of with rare earth supplementary lights.

These fruits and vegetables, because of the use of rare earth agricultural light sources in the planting process, are unusual in shape and taste, and are widely praised.

"the light efficiency of rare earth light-emitting materials is relatively strong. With the same wattage, the light efficiency of rare earth light-emitting materials is 20% higher than that of ordinary LED. I have been exploring how to use this advantage in plants to make magic rare earths' shine'in agriculture." Zhang Tong said.

Qin Xinmiao, general manager of Baotou Zhongke Ruifeng Technology Co., Ltd., has found a starting point to turn the results into economic benefits. In China, due to climate, farmers' burden, market acceptance and other reasons, there is almost no profit in the construction of glass greenhouses in China, so it is generally dominated by greenhouse greenhouses in China, especially in the northern region, where there is a serious lack of sunlight in winter. there is a problem of daylighting, which leads to large-scale greenhouse sites but no large-scale crops in the northern region.

The direction has been set, and we need to do the market. Qin Xinmiao considered adopting this strategy: in the early stage, it was put into scientific research institutes and extension stations to popularize technology, and in the later stage, it came into contact with farmers to help them increase production and income.

The plan is to grow vegetables and sell them through pilot demonstration, with a view to promoting technological transformation and making the company profitable at the same time. Qin Xinmiao rented two greenhouses in Machi Town, Jiuyuan District, Baotou City. at that time, the series of fruits and vegetables was only partly invested in the market and did not make much profit. The demonstration has some effect, but the cost is very high, so the lease will not be rented after the lease expires, and the first attempt ends with poor economic benefits.

The second way is to rely on Baotou Agricultural Science Research Institute and other cooperative institutions, through their help to promote, do some experimental demonstrations, a wide range of promotion data also verify that the effect of rare earth plant lighting is very good. However, some difficulties are encountered in the promotion, for example, the acceptance of farmers is not high, they pay more attention to water and fertilizer management in agricultural technology, and there is no concept of plants replenishing light at all.

How to popularize the technology on a large scale? Qin Xinmiao thought of holding vocational training for thousands of farmers through the Baotou Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and the Bureau of Science and Technology to enable them to accept fresh science and technology in agricultural demonstration bases and agricultural science and technology parks in Tuyou Banner, so as to improve energy-intensive and extensive agricultural cultivation. Plus in Chifeng with the local influential staff to find a location for demonstration, lamps, wires, installation, electricity bills and so on by the team to pay, cooperatives with the team to do a demonstration.

Farmers do not pay, only provide venues, normal management, scientific researchers test production every day, how much income has been increased. A demonstration is given to farmers to let them see the effect of supplementary lights, and calculate how long it will take to recover the cost by calculating the cost.

"the cost of an acre of land is about 10,000 yuan, and the overall income from increasing production in the first year has reached 14000. After the first year of investment, the cost can be recovered and there can be a surplus." Qin Xinmiao said.

In the next step, the company will not only provide rare earth lighting, but also enhance the visibility of its products, so that more governments and enterprises can discover the technological capabilities and achievements of the rare earth center and achieve more and greater cooperation.

The pioneering spirit of science and technology will make scientific and technological achievements more beneficial to the people and help them get rid of poverty. This is the belief of people in the rare earth industry.

When inspecting Jiangxi, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed: "technological innovation is the lifeblood of enterprises. Only with independent intellectual property rights and core technology can we produce products with core competitiveness and remain invincible in the fierce competition. It is necessary to firmly grasp the strategic starting point of technological innovation, master more key core technologies, and seize the commanding heights of the development of the industry. Rare earth is not only an important strategic resource, but also a non-renewable resource. It is necessary to increase the intensity of scientific and technological innovation, constantly improve the level of development and utilization, extend the industrial chain, increase the added value, strengthen the environmental protection of projects, and achieve green and sustainable development. " The great mission calls for a great scientific spirit. in the great journey of the new era, the scientific and technological workers in the rare earth high-tech zones will certainly be able to consciously practice and vigorously carry forward the spirit of scientists, sharpen their courage to "commit themselves to the country, what cannot be done", encourage the creative lofty feeling of "daring to be the first in the world", courageously set the tide, forge ahead, and make new and greater contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.