The Instituteof Rare Metal Metallurgyis a comprehensive teaching and research agency which is affiliated toSchoolofMetallurgyand Environment,Central South University. The institute has established the Key Laboratory of Hunan Province “Rare Metal Metallurgy and Material Preparation” and Key Laboratory of ChinaNon-ferrous Metal Industry “Metallurgical Separation Science and Engineering”, and is also the important constitutive part ofNational Engineering Laboratory of Refractory Non-ferrous Metal Resource Comprehensive Utilization.

The Institute of Rare Metal Metallurgyhas a rich history of more than 60 years in the field of talent cultivation and scientific research of rare metals metallurgy inChina. In the last 30 years, the institute has undertaken more than 50 national key research projects including the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program), the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program), the 863, State Sci-Tech Support Plan, National Science and Technology Major Project, National Nature Science foundation of China (NSFC) and also a hundred of industrial projects. The achievements of research especially in the field of extractive metallurgy and materials preparation of W, Mo, V, Ta, Nb, Ti and Ni with high efficiency and clean production have been leading domestically and internationally, which have created significant economic and social benefits for domestic metallurgical industries. The institute therefore has won more than 30 awards including 2 times of 1st Prize of National Science and Technology Progress, 2 times of 2nd and 1 time 3rd of Prize of National Invention and 1st, 2nd, 3rd Prizes from Ministry of Metallurgy, Education andHunanProvince. More than 100 patents have been authorized. Nearly 30 text book and monographs, and more than 1000 research papers with high lever have been published, which make the institute enjoy high academic reputation in the field of domestic and international metallurgy.  

There are currently 20 faculty in the institute, including 7 professors (1 Changjiang Scholar Professor of Chinese Ministry of Education), 5 associated professors, 6 lecturers and 2 experimentalists. In addition, there is a part-time tutor of Ph.D student, Professor Congjie GAO, the member of Chinese academy of engineering. So far, theInstituteofRare Metal Metallurgyhas cultivated more than 40 Ph.D and 150 Master students.

Today the institute undertakes fundamental and applied research in all areas related to nonferrous metallurgy. Some areas of research include:

Efficient and clean production of non-ferrous especially rare metals metallurgy

Comprehensive utilization of low grade complicated nonferrous metals resources

Utilization Second resources of nonferrous metals especially rare metals

Metallurgical process intensification

Metallurgical separation science and engineering( solvent extraction, ion exchange and membrane separation)

Complete separation of similar elements

Theory and technology of vacuum metallurgy

Synthesis and preparation of special materials such as powder, power resources and separation material

Treatment of waste water from metallurgical industry

RESEARCH GROUP

There are currently four research groups in the institute:

Pollution-Free Metallurgy

Metallurgical Separation Science and Engineering

Vacuum(Ti, Zr, Hf) Metallurgy

Functional Material Preparation

Pollution-Free Metallurgy Group

Overview

The group focuses on extractive metallurgy of rare metals, metallurgical process intensification, new process development of W and Mo metallurgy, complete separation of similar elements and functional material preparation.

Faculty

Professor: Zhongwei ZHAO; Yunjiao LI

Associated Professor: Guangsheng HUO; Ailiang CHEN; Xingyu CHEN

Lecturer: Xuheng LIU; Jiangtao LI

Typical Research Work

Key technology on comprehensive utilization of complicated tungsten resource(Won 1st Prize of State Science and Technology Progress)

New process on removal of Mo, As, Sn, Sb from tungstate solutions by selective precipitation(Won 2nd Prize of State Invention)

Decomposition process and equipment of scheelite and mixed tungsten ores(Won 2nd Prize of State Invention)

Metallurgical Separation Science and Engineering Group

Overview

The group focuses on metallurgical separation science and engineering, efficient and clean production of complicated nonferrous metal resources(W, Mo, V, Ni), Comprehensive utilization of secondary resources, Treatment of metallurgical wastewater, synthesis and preparation of special material for metal separation(extractants, ion exchange resins and membranes) and new equipment development for solvent extraction, ion exchange and membrane separation.

Faculty

Professor: Liansheng XIAO; Cuoying CAO

Associated Professor: Guiqing ZHANG; Qinggang LI

Lecturer: Li ZENG; Wenjuan GUAN

Typical Research Work

Clean production process of W and Mo hydrometallurgy based on new technology of direct solvent extraction of W and Mo from soda or caustic soda leach solutions of their ores and secondary resources (Industrialization).

New process development on efficient and clean extraction of nickel from acid leach solutions of low grade nickel resources based on new technology of direct solvent extraction (Industrialization).

Clean production process of Ni and Mo extraction from low grade Ni-Mo ores (Industrialization).

Separation of W/Mo, Mo/V, W/V using continuous ion exchange process (Industrialization).

Purification of nickel electrolyte using continuous ion exchange (Industrialization).

Synthesis and preparation of special extractant for direct Ni extraction from acid leach solutions (Industrialization).

Synthesis and preparation of special ion exchange resin for separations of Mo/W, Mo/V and W/V.

Development of process and equipment of EDI with bipolar membrane for the untrapure water treatment of wastewater containing dilute heavy metals.

Preparation of isopolyacid and heteropolyacid of tungsten and molybdenum using membrane technology

Vacuum (Ti, Zr, Hf) Metallurgy Group

Overview

The group focuses on efficient and clean metallurgy of Ti, V, Ta, Nb, Fundamental theory and process of vacuum metallurgy, Comprehensive treatment of ammonia-nitrogen wastewater, nano material preparation.

Faculty

Professor: Hui ZHONG; Xuewen WANG

Associated Professor: Mingyu WANG

Lecturer: Yanyang DAI

Typical Research Work

Development and preparation of series of carbide (Industrialization).

Preparation of supercapacitor

Comprehensive utilization of waste solid from Ti metallurgical industry (Industrialization).

Membrane filtration process of crude TiCl4 (Industrialization).

Clean production of V extraction from stone coal

Preparation of nano BaSO4 (Industrialization).

Functional Material Preparation Group

Overview

The group focuses on synthesis of new high polymer composites, optimization of structure and property of NIPS porous membranes.

Faculty

Professor: Lanying JIANG

Typical Research Work

Molecular Engineering of Membrane Materials and Fabrication for the Separation of Acetone Butanol Ethanol (ABE) Broths Produced from Non-food Biomass.

Sub-Nano Pore-Size Membranes for Biofuel Separation and Purification.

The Development of Mixed Matrix Nano-Composite Materials for Membrane Separation.