Major Breakthrough! China Discovers New Mineral Type—High-Purity Quartz Ore, Reducing Heavy Reliance on Imports

According to a report by CCTV, journalists learned from the Ministry of Natural Resources today (10th) that the "Announcement on Newly Discovered Mineral Species" was recently released, identifying a new mineral species—high-purity quartz ore. Its discovery will change the previous situation of heavy reliance on imports and support the high-quality development of related strategic emerging industries. The Ministry of Natural Resources stated that the newly established mineral species is called high-purity quartz ore, which refers to rocks that, after beneficiation and purification, can obtain silicon dioxide with a purity of no less than 99.995%, and whose impurity and inclusion content meets the application requirements of high-tech fields such as semiconductors and PV. In recent years, through the promotion of a new round of strategic actions for mineral exploration breakthroughs, multiple high-purity quartz ore deposits have been discovered in regions such as the eastern Qinling Mountains in Henan and Altay in Xinjiang. Numerous enterprises and research institutions across the country have conducted technical research and successfully obtained pilot products of 4N5 grade or higher, with some samples reaching 4N8 grade. Significant breakthroughs have been made in the investigation and evaluation of high-purity quartz ore, resource exploration, deep purification, and targeted impurity removal, taking a crucial step towards the industrialisation of producing high-purity quartz sand from domestic resources. Mao Jingwen, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, stated that the establishment of the new mineral species will help support the high-quality development of related strategic emerging industries and will have a positive impact on cultivating and developing new quality productive forces, enhancing the resilience and security of the industry chain and supply chain. As a strategic resource that is scarce globally and heavily reliant on imports in China, high-purity quartz ore has characteristics such as high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, low thermal expansion, high insulation, and light transmittance. It is an indispensable key basic material for strategic emerging industries such as semiconductors and PV, playing a crucial role in national high-tech competition. Huang Xuexiong, Director of the Department of Mineral Resources Protection and Supervision at the Ministry of Natural Resources, stated that as a key basic material for strategic emerging industries, the next steps for high-purity quartz ore mainly include listing it in the strategic mineral resources catalog, establishing an engineering technology innovation center for the development and utilization of high-purity quartz resources, conducting scientific research on metallogenic theory and exploration evaluation technology, separation and purification technology, coordinating national resource investigation and evaluation work, deploying key exploration projects, determining the resource reserves of high-purity quartz ore, and enhancing domestic resource security capabilities. Recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources released the "Announcement on Newly Discovered Mineral Species" (hereinafter referred to as the "Announcement"). Responsible officials from relevant departments of the Ministry of Natural Resources answered reporters' questions regarding the "Announcement." Question 1: What is the basic situation of the high-purity quartz ore in this "Announcement"? Please provide a brief introduction. High-purity quartz has characteristics such as high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, low thermal expansion, high insulation, and light transmittance. It is an indispensable key basic material for strategic emerging industries such as semiconductors and PV, playing a crucial role in national high-tech competition. Obtaining high-purity quartz requires high-purity quartz raw material ore—that is, high-purity quartz ore. The newly established mineral species, high-purity quartz ore, refers to rocks that, under current technical and economic conditions, can obtain high-purity quartz sand with silicon dioxide (SiO2) purity of no less than 99.995% (4N5) after beneficiation and purification, and whose impurity, inclusion content, and particle size meet the application requirements of high-tech fields such as semiconductors, PV, and optics. According to different ore types, high-purity quartz ore can be divided into granite pegmatite type, vein quartz type, natural crystal type, and quartzite type. The beneficiation and purification product is high-purity quartz sand. As a strategic resource that is scarce globally and heavily reliant on imports in China, high-purity quartz ore has unique metallogenic geological characteristics and mining conditions, significantly different from other minerals. In recent years, important breakthroughs have been made in domestic mineral exploration, with multiple high-purity quartz ore deposits discovered in Xinjiang, Henan, Anhui, and other regions. Numerous domestic research institutions and enterprises have developed key technologies and equipment for rapid screening, deep purification, and targeted impurity removal of high-purity quartz ore, supporting the widespread utilization of domestic ore. A certain scale of industry chain support has been formed domestically, qualifying it to become a new member of China's mineral species family. Question 2: How did high-purity quartz ore go from discovery to becoming a new mineral species? In recent years, the Ministry of Natural Resources has actively promoted the implementation of a new round of strategic actions for mineral exploration breakthroughs. The China Geological Survey and related units in Henan Province discovered high-purity quartz mineral resources in regions such as the eastern Qinling Mountains in Henan and Altay in Xinjiang, similar to the high-purity quartz deposits in the US. Multiple mining areas capable of producing high-purity quartz sand were discovered, and significant breakthroughs were made in the investigation and evaluation of high-purity quartz ore, deep purification, and targeted impurity removal technology. The China Geological Survey, Henan Province, and numerous geological exploration and research units across the country conducted technical research on high-purity quartz beneficiation, successfully obtaining pilot products of 4N5 grade or higher, with some samples reaching 4N8 grade. This marked a crucial step towards the localisation of high-purity quartz purification technology and industrialisation using domestic resources. In July 2024, the Department of Natural Resources of Henan Province applied to the Ministry of Natural Resources to establish high-purity quartz ore as a new mineral species. Based on extensive research and in accordance with relevant regulations, the Ministry organized academicians, experts, and representatives from relevant units to review and evaluate the application report. The evaluation opinion concluded that high-purity quartz ore meets the conditions for applying as a new mineral species. Recently, with the approval of the State Council, high-purity quartz ore officially became a new legal mineral species in China. The establishment of the new mineral species reflects the high importance the Party Central Committee and the State Council place on the security of high-purity quartz ore resources. It will have a positive impact on cultivating and developing new quality productive forces and enhancing the resilience and security of China's industry chain and supply chain. Question 3: After the establishment of the new mineral species, what work will the Ministry of Natural Resources carry out in the management of high-purity quartz ore resources? As a key basic material, the establishment of high-purity quartz ore as a new mineral species requires further strengthening of top-level design and overall planning, as well as enhancing the development, utilization, and protection of high-purity quartz ore resources. First, in terms of mineral exploration. Further intensify the exploration of high-purity quartz ore, coordinate the deployment of national high-purity quartz ore resource investigation work, strengthen research on geological metallogenic theory, conduct comparative studies on the metallogenic geological conditions of different types of high-purity quartz resources, provide technical guidance, and identify exploration targets and blocks. Strengthen central-local cooperation, actively boost local and commercial exploration, organize and prioritize key exploration projects, and accelerate project implementation to solidify the resource foundation. Second, in terms of resource protection. In the drafting process of the new "Implementation Rules of the Mineral Resources Law," high-purity quartz ore will be included in the mineral species catalog. After further evaluation, it will be included in the national strategic mineral resources catalog. At the same time, the technical index system related to high-purity quartz ore will be further improved, geological exploration standards for high-purity quartz ore will be studied and formulated, and industrial evaluation indicators will be determined to clarify the resource inventory, providing a basis for the scientific and rational planning of high-purity quartz ore exploration and mining. Third, in terms of scientific research. Optimize the layout of scientific and technological innovation platforms in the field of high-purity quartz, establish an engineering technology innovation center for the development and utilization of high-purity quartz resources, organize the establishment of a key laboratory for mineral new materials under the Ministry of Natural Resources, deploy key R&D special tasks, focus on research directions such as metallogenic theory and exploration evaluation technology of high-purity quartz ore, separation and purification technology, detection and analysis technology, and industrialisation technology, conduct scientific research, and improve the resource security capability and comprehensive utilization level of high-purity quartz ore.