Mineral resources are the material basis for human survival and social development. Nonmetallic, metallic and fuel minerals are the three major mineral raw materials in human material life. According to statistics, 95% of the world's energy and 80% of the industrial raw materials come from fossil fuels, while more than 70% of the world's annual mineral exploitation is non-metallic minerals. With the development of society and the progress of science and technology, the demand for non-metallic mineral materials will be increasing.

1、 Non metallic mineral resources in China

China is one of the few countries with complete non-metallic mineral resources and rich resources in the world. There are almost all kinds of minerals found in the world in China, some of which occupy a special position, and some of them are advantaged. At present, there are 89 kinds of non-metallic minerals with proven reserves in China, and there are more than 500 producing areas, among which gypsum, limestone, barite, graphite, talc, magnesite and bentonite are the first in the world; pyrophyllite, wollastonite, fluorite and mirabilite are the second in the world; asbestos, perlite, zeolite and boronite are the third in the world. Other reserves such as kaolin, bauxite, attapulgite, sepiolite, diatomite, kyanite, illite and celestite are also very large. Granite and marble are rich in resources, with fine texture and beautiful colors. Their development and utilization prospects are quite extensive. The characteristics of China's non-metallic mineral resources are as follows: most of the minerals are lean minerals, few of which are of good quality and difficult to be mined; there are less large deposits and more small and medium-sized minerals; there are more total resources, less per capita resources and uneven distribution.

The following focuses on kaolin (coal bearing kaolin), graphite, bentonite, calcium carbonate four dominant minerals.

1. Resource distribution in China

(1) Kaolin (including coal series kaolin): China's kaolin resource reserves are about 1.4 billion tons, second only to the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom, ranking fourth in the world. 97 large and medium-sized mining areas with reserves of more than 1 million tons are mainly distributed in Guangdong (30%), Shaanxi (26%), Fujian (11%), Jiangxi (7.7%), Guangxi (7.6%), Hunan (5.4%), Jiangsu (3.7%), etc.

Hunan, Jiangxi and other places are porcelain clay and low-grade raw materials, while Maoming, Guangdong, Longyan, Fujian, Suzhou, Jiangsu and newly developed Beihai, Guangxi have better water washed kaolin resources. High quality coal series kaolin is mainly from Datong and Shuozhou of Shanxi to Zhungeer of Inner Mongolia.

(2) Graphite: China's graphite is divided into crystalline and cryptocrystalline, with a total reserves of 218 million tons, ranking first in the world. Crystalline graphite is distributed in Heilongjiang (6%), Shandong (10%), Sichuan (8%), Inner Mongolia (8%), Hubei (6%), and cryptocrystalline graphite is distributed in Hunan (75%), Jilin (11%).

(3) Bentonite: China's Bentonite resource reserves are 2.46 billion tons, accounting for 60% of the world, ranking first in the world, distributed in 23 provinces (cities, districts). There are 43 large and medium-sized deposits, mainly distributed in Guangxi (26%), Xinjiang (14%), Inner Mongolia (9%), Jiangsu (7%), Hebei (6%), Shandong (5%), Hubei (5%), Anhui (5%), etc. Ningming of Guangxi, Xinjiang and bukeser, Xinghe of Inner Mongolia are rich in resources in the west, but the development is not enough; Weifang of Shandong, Qiushan of Zhejiang, Lin'an and other places in the East are well developed.

(4) Calcium carbonate: China's calcium carbonate resources are mainly distributed in Sichuan, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Hebei, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jilin, Heilongjiang and other provinces. The reserves are about 3.5 billion tons. At present, there are more than 350 calcium carbonate enterprises with a certain scale, which are mainly divided into two parts: light calcium carbonate and heavy calcium carbonate. There are more than 200 light calcium carbonate production enterprises with a production capacity of 2.8 million tons / year and an output of 2.2 million tons / year. Among them, the output of ultra-fine (particle size 0.020 μ m) light calcium carbonate accounts for about 3% of the total output of light calcium carbonate. There are more than 160 heavy calcium carbonate production enterprises with a production capacity of 3 million tons / year and an output of 2.4 million tons / year.

2、 Current situation of China's non metallic mineral industry

Although China's non-metallic minerals are one of the few countries rich in resources in the world, it started late. The industry was formed in the 1950s and has been developed and applied rapidly in the past two decades. In recent years, China's non-metallic mineral industry has made great progress, initially forming an industrial production system, which plays an important role in the national economy. According to statistics, in 2003, the total industrial output value of China's state-owned and over 5 million non-state-owned mineral mining and processing industry and related energy and raw material processing (products) industry was 3340 billion, accounting for 28.0% of the total industrial output value of the same caliber statistics in China. The total industrial output value of China's non-metallic mineral mining and processing industry and products industry was 870 billion yuan, accounting for 14.1% of the total industrial output value of China's mineral products, 3.9% of the total industrial output value, and 2.2% of the total industrial output value In 2003, the export of non-metallic mineral products earned US $3 billion.

Although China's non-metallic mining industry has made great progress, it is still in the primary stage. Its basic characteristics are low level of technology, low degree of product processing, single market, small scale of enterprises, and extensive resource intensive operation

（1） Unreasonable industrial structure

The manufacturers are mainly small-scale Township and private enterprises, which have not yet formed the non-metallic mineral products or products production enterprises or enterprise groups that occupy a large market share and have a major impact on the national economy and export earnings. They have not yet formed the large-scale and intensive production mode to meet the requirements of modern market economy and social development, and they are resource development enterprises .

(2) Unreasonable product structure

The products are still mainly raw material mining and primary processing products, and the proportion of deep processing products with high technology content is relatively small (about 20% ~ 30%), which can not fully meet the development requirements of domestic high-tech and new material industry. The export products are still mainly raw ore and primary processing products, with single product variety, low grade and poor market competitiveness.

(3) Backward technology and equipment

China's non-metallic ore deep processing technology and technical equipment are backward, and the product grade is low, which can not reach the foreign similar product index, resulting in waste of resources and ecological damage.

(4) Lack of scientific and technological talents

Over the years, the investment in science and technology of non-metallic mining industry is small, and the level of technology research and development is low. Most enterprises have no R & D institutions and lack of R & D personnel. The weak basic research of non-metallic minerals restricts the development of non-metallic minerals industry.

3、 Current situation of foreign nonmetal industry

There are about 250 kinds of non-metallic mineral resources that have been used by industry in the world. At present, the total annual mining amount is more than 25 billion tons. At present, the per capita annual consumption of non-metallic minerals is 5 tons, which is the largest consumption of mineral materials in the world. The development and utilization level of non-metallic mineral resources has become one of the important symbols to measure the comprehensive economic development level of a country. The development trend of non-metallic mineral industry is as follows:

（1）Enterprises are developing towards large scale and collectivization

Imeries, a mining giant, has emerged in the world, dealing in calcium carbonate, kaolin, various clay, graphite, feldspar, vermiculite and other minerals and other industries, with annual sales of 2.7 billion euros. There are also Engelhard company in the United States with 2 million tons / year kaolin products, Huber company and Thiele company with 1.5 million tons / year kaolin products; cadamsa company with 1 million tons / year kaolin products in Brazil, RCC company and PPSA company with more than 400000 tons / year kaolin products; AKW company with 700000 tons / year kaolin products in Germany, and Omya calcium carbonate company with an annual output of 18 million tons.

(2) Industrial technology is developing to deep processing, and equipment is developing to large scale and automation

The research and design of non-metallic mineral processing has a clear goal. Through the production process and technical treatment, we can obtain a variety of valuable materials with minerals as important components, including mineral interlayer ion exchange, organic covering, microporous structure and structure, electric double layer, decolorization and dyeing, changing specific gravity and density, ultra-fine, coupling and cross-linking, clay biomaterials, artificial composite Deep processing technology such as forming materials.

The application of 363 ton truck in mining industry, computer control, satellite positioning automation mining, mineral processing automation and microbial mineral processing have promoted the development of the industry.

(3) The industry presents diversification, serialization and standardization

With the development of mining and beneficiation technology to mechanization, continuity and scale operation, the general trend is diversification, serialization and standardization, and more specifically, a mineral forms a series of products at the same time.

（4）Resource exporting countries are gradually transforming to export products

At present, the production and marketing pattern of non-metallic minerals is that most developing countries export raw materials or primary processed products, while consumer countries and industrial developed countries process and resell some deep processed products. With the development of science and technology, especially the high-tech industry, the requirements for the quality, variety and quantity of non-metallic minerals are higher and higher. In addition, the prices of raw ores and primary products are low, and the added value of deep processing products can increase several times or even dozens of times. Some traditional resource exporting countries begin to adjust the structure, reduce the export of raw materials, increase the export of products, and rely on increasing the added value to increase their output We earn foreign exchange through export. In view of the high cost of domestic production, many developed countries have also transferred some processing and manufacturing industries to developing countries.

四、Cross the gap between domestic and foreign nonmetal industries

China is one of the major non-metallic mineral producers in the world, and plays an important role in the world industrial mineral trade. Since the reform and opening up, the utilization and protection of non-metallic minerals have made remarkable achievements, and the technology of processing and utilization is constantly innovating. It has a dominant position in the international trade of many minerals. The export trade is growing and the amount of foreign exchange is increasing. However, due to the late start of rational utilization of resources, poor foundation, backward equipment, and the small and scattered majority of enterprises, there is a big gap between the utilization level of non-metallic minerals in China and the international advanced level.

（1）我国非金属企业适应市场能力及企业自身开发产品能力差，产品加工深度与利用的广度不够。上、中、下游矿产品严重失衡，总量过剩与结构性短缺并存。因此，不能形成系列化产品的结构是我国非金属产业存在的主要问题，从而引起市场需求不能有效满足，资源价值不能充分体现。表现在：a.产品品种少，价格单一，大大制约了非金属矿产品应用的广度，影响了资源效益的发挥，影响了企业对市场的适应性和盈利能力。b.产品的深加工技术落后，大大制约了非金属矿产品利用的深度。长期以来，我国非金属矿产品存在"高进低出"的倒挂局面。虽然我国许多非金属矿出口量占世界前列，但主要以原料生产或粗加工产品生产为主。非金属矿的特点之一，是其加工增值快。如钙基膨润土原矿40~70员/吨，矿粉160~240元/吨，或性白土1200元/吨；钠基膨润土4000元/吨；有机膨润土12000元/吨；高纯超细膨润土40000美元/吨。石墨固定碳在70~80%，售价420~680元/吨，而彩管涂料石墨乳7~10万元/吨，碱锰电池用高纯石墨1.7~1.7万元/吨，柔性石墨7000美元/吨。可见，非金属矿的深加工是资源增值的重要途径。

（2）China's non-metal enterprises have poor ability to adapt to the market and develop their own products, and the depth and breadth of product processing and utilization are not enough. There is a serious imbalance among the upper, middle and lower reaches of mineral products, and the total surplus and structural shortage coexist. Therefore, the main problem of China's non-metal industry is that the structure of series products can not be formed, which leads to the market demand can not be effectively met and the value of resources can not be fully reflected. It is shown in: a. the product variety is few and the price is single, which greatly restricts the application of non-metallic mineral products, affects the exertion of resource efficiency, and affects the adaptability and profitability of enterprises to the market. b. The backward deep processing technology of products greatly restricts the depth of utilization of non-metallic mineral products. For a long time, China's non-metallic mineral products have the situation of "high in and low out". Although China's export volume of many non-metallic minerals is in the forefront of the world, it mainly focuses on the production of raw materials or rough processing products. One of the characteristics of non-metallic ore is its fast value-added processing. For example, the raw ore of calcium bentonite is 40 ~ 70 workers / ton, the ore powder is 160 ~ 240 yuan / ton, or the clay is 1200 yuan / ton; the sodium bentonite is 4000 yuan / ton; the organic bentonite is 12000 yuan / ton; and the high-purity ultra-fine bentonite is 40000 US dollars / ton. The fixed carbon of graphite is 70 ~ 80%, and the price is 420 ~ 680 yuan / ton, while the graphite emulsion of color tube coating is 70000 ~ 100000 yuan / ton, the high-purity graphite for alkaline manganese battery is 17000 ~ 17000 yuan / ton, and the flexible graphite is 7000 yuan / ton. It can be seen that the deep processing of non-metallic minerals is an important way to increase the value of resources.

（3）Weak basic work, backward equipment and technology, and serious waste of resources. The basic work includes the foundation of geological and technological work. The work level of Dikan is not enough, which is reflected in the fact that 50% of the state-owned non-metallic mines and 90% of other mines have unknown resources. Due to unclear resources, many mines are in a dilemma. For example, 70-80% of stone processing comes from small enterprises' drilling, blasting and manual splitting, and the rate of finished block is less than 30%. The same is true of other non-metallic mineral mining. Scientific mining methods are rarely used, which not only makes it difficult to further expand the scale of operation, but also causes amazing waste. The separation process remains in manual separation or simple mechanical separation, lacking the guidance of reasonable utilization and protection. The backward control technology of processing not only affects the product quality, but also causes the low utilization of resources and poor production efficiency to a certain extent. The overall backward technology and equipment in the non-metallic mining industry has resulted in low utilization rate of mineral products, medium use of high quality minerals, inferior use of medium quality minerals, low product grade and few product specifications. Nonmetallic fillers, coatings, thermal insulation materials, high temperature refractories, superfine grinding, surface modification, modification, composite materials and so on are lagging behind the requirements of the times.

（4）The application of basic research, far behind the pace of development of non-metallic minerals. The basic research on the application of non-metallic minerals, focusing on the material composition, physicochemical properties, surface and interface properties, process characteristics and product orientation of ores, has not been paid enough attention. Thus, it directly affects the development of new products in our country. We can only use analogy for reference. In this way, on the one hand, we are in the passive position of tracking research, and our technology, equipment and products lag behind the foreign generation. On the other hand, it affects and restricts our own innovation ability, and also restricts the technological progress of the utilization and protection of non-metallic minerals in China.

（5）The low comprehensive utilization rate of resources has seriously affected the enterprise's efficiency, environment and service life of resources. The utilization rate of non-metallic mineral resources in China is between 20% and 60%, which is far lower than the level of more than 70% in developed countries.

五、Technology development trend of non metallic mineral industry

1、Law of Technological Development

（1）Superfine grinding and fine classification

Comminution and fine classification technology is the main deep processing technology of non-metallic minerals, and the key lies in the equipment. Japan, Germany, the United States, Canada and other countries have always maintained the world's advanced level. At present, the ultra-fine grinding and fine classification technologies in Europe, America and Japan are mainly ahead of China in the following aspects:

a. Large scale equipment: compared with Europe, America, Japan and other countries, China's large-scale equipment is obviously insufficient. For example, the single machine capacity of foreign large-scale jet mill can reach more than 10 t / h, and the former Soviet Union used large-scale jet mill to grind cement clinker, fly ash, etc., with the particle size of 10 ~ 20 μ m, and the output can reach 100 t / h. The domestic maximum capacity is only about 0.8 T / h; the foreign large-scale fine classifier (fine product fineness is 6 ~ 7 μ m) can handle more than 10 t / h, and the domestic maximum capacity is only about 2 T / h.

b. Advanced process control system: some foreign superfine grinding process equipment and production lines have adopted automatic control system, while our country basically relies on manual experience for operation or control, so it is difficult to guarantee product quality and stability。

（2）Surface modification

The surface modification technology of nonmetallic minerals in developed countries is better than that in China

a. The modified activation technology and equipment are advanced. Foreign advanced modification equipment has the characteristics of automatic dosing, continuous production, controllable temperature, less dosage per unit product, low energy consumption, highly dispersed particles, high degree of automation, simple and convenient operation, etc.

b.The quality of coupling agent is high and stable.

（3）nanometer material

Non metallic nano materials are an important part of nano materials. At present, the main nano non-metallic materials include nano sulfur dioxide, nano titanium dioxide, nano calcium carbonate, nano carbon tubes, nano ceramic materials and polymer clay mineral nanocomposites, among which polymer clay mineral nanocomposites have become the most popular materials in developed countries such as Japan, Germany and the United States in recent years It is the hot spot of material science research.

2、Industrial development trend

The development of non-metallic industry focuses on the development and research of energy-saving materials, electronic engineering materials, encircling materials, sealing materials, friction materials, refractory and thermal insulation materials, fillers and coatings of bioengineering materials. Specifically：
New high performance friction materials, sealing materials and functional fillers of engineering plastics for automobile industry。
Sealing materials, carriers, composite materials and functional fillers for petrochemical industry。
High performance insulating materials, high performance wear reducing materials and lubricating materials, electronic component coating materials, grinding materials, high performance electrode materials for mechanical and electrical industry。
Light weight and high strength thermal insulation, sound insulation materials, high performance pyrotechnic materials, new interior and exterior wall decoration materials and decorative coatings (including functional coatings) for construction industry）。
Pesticide and fertilizer carrier materials for agriculture and feed industry, agricultural film functional fillers, soil amendments and feed additives.
Environmental protection industrial water purification materials, domestic and industrial waste gas treatment adsorption materials, nuclear waste treatment and radiation shielding materials。
It will be an important task for the non-metallic mining industry to meet the needs of the development of the above materials.

3、Forecast of world demand for non-metallic minerals
& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; with the change of industrial structure, measures to reduce energy consumption and save raw materials are generally adopted, and the application of new materials and synthetic minerals partly replace the shortage of minerals, etc. in the future, the demand for non-metallic minerals in the world economy will show a slow growth momentum. In the future, the growth of demand for non-metallic minerals will be mainly in developing countries. It is estimated that by 2010, the demand for non-metallic mineral raw materials will be mainly concentrated in the United States, Japan, Western Europe, Russia and its surrounding countries, emerging industrial countries (regions) in the Pacific rim and developing countries with political industrialization. In the future, most non-metallic minerals, some new non-metallic minerals, energy-saving and environmental protection non-metallic products will maintain a high growth rate. In the future, the main demand markets for non-metallic mineral products will still be refractories, paper making, coatings, rubber, plastics, ceramics and environmental protection.

4. The development direction of China's non-metallic mineral industry is
the traditional non-metallic mineral processing industry in China is mainly based on providing primary products or intermediate products for metallurgical, chemical, light industry, petroleum, machinery, building materials, agriculture, national defense and other industrial sectors, with low product value. In the future, it will develop in the direction of deep processing and development of high-tech functional materials with high added value. For example, graphite is processed into expanded graphite to become a kind of advanced sealing material, which is used in aerospace, atomic energy, chemical industry, machinery and other industries; high purity quartz is used in photoelectric communication and so on.

5、(1) graphite: high purity graphite, expanded graphite, graphite emulsion, siliconized graphite, sealing materials, etc.
(2) bentonite: environmental protection materials, adsorption decolorization, chemical industry, catalyst carrier, pyrotechnic materials, etc.
(3) talc: superfine talc powder, modified talc powder, sterile talc powder and various functional talc powder and masterbatch for plastics, coatings, papermaking, cosmetics and medicine. (4) mica: high grade wet ground mica powder, Pearlescent Mica Powder, etc. (5) diatomite: filter aid, adsorption material, catalyst carrier and insulation material. (6) kaolin: high grade paper coatings, high strength ceramics, billets and fines, nano materials, cosmetics, medical coatings, pesticides, catalyst carriers.
(7) coal series kaolin: cable plastics, environmental materials, chemical catalysts, national defense cutting-edge materials. (8) feldspar: ceramic, glass, flux.
(9) attapulgite: adsorbent, desiccant, adhesive, salt resistant soil moving, sewage purification.
(10) silica sand: high grade glass raw materials, electronic plastic packaging materials, casting sand.
(11) carbonate: Fillers for papermaking, billets and feeders, plastics, rubber, coatings and graphite.