It is more precious than rare earths, and the aerospace field cannot do without it, with reserves of less than 300 tons!

The scramble for strategic resources never stops. As the world's second largest economy, the continent has an industrial boom, and the demand for scarce metal resources is also increasing day by day. One of them, rhenium metal, which is known as "more precious than rare earths", is now regarded as an extremely valuable strategic resource. It plays an indispensable role in aerospace, nuclear energy, medical and other fields, why is the reserve of rhenium on the mainland so small? Will this become a stumbling block to development?

Rhenium is no less precious than gold

Rhenium is a silvery-white metal with extremely high melting and boiling points, good thermal stability and corrosion resistance. Known as the "core of aerospace", it is an indispensable material for the manufacture of key components such as turbine blades for aero engines and nozzles for rocket engines. The application of rhenium has also extended to many fields such as nuclear reactors and anti-cancer drugs. Rhenium reserves on Earth are extremely limited. According to the available detection data, the world's proven rhenium reserves are only about 2,500 tons, far less than gold. Among them, Chile has the richest rhenium deposits, with reserves of about 1,300 tons; The mainland's rhenium reserves are less than 300 tons, which is a scarce resource.

Once there is a shortage of supply, it will greatly restrict the pace of the country's modernization. It can be said that rhenium is to the present as it is to the past steel during the Industrial Revolution. That's why countries value it as a strategic resource.

The current situation of lack of rhenium reserves in the mainland

The mainland is a major economic, industrial, and scientific and technological power, and has a strong demand for strategic resources such as rhenium. However, the domestic rhenium ore reserves are stretched, mainly distributed in Shaanxi, Anhui, Guizhou and other places. Shaanxi is perhaps the richest place in terms of reserves, and the Shangluo area of Shaanxi Province is home to the largest proven rhenium deposit in China, with reserves of about 176 tons, accounting for about 60% of the total reserves in the mainland. However, rhenium ore does not exist independently there, but is associated with molybdenum, silver, lead and other minerals, which is very inconvenient to mine.

The newly discovered rhenium ore in Jing County, Anhui Province is even more precious

In 2017, Jing County, Anhui Province explored a rhenium mine with a large reserve, about 30 tons. Rhenium resources have never been discovered in Anhui before, and this discovery can be described as the icing on the cake. But in the same way, the rhenium mine in Jingxian County is also associated with the molybdenum ore, and it is not easy to mine.

Guizhou, Qianxi and other places still have potential to be tapped

There are also rhenium ores in Guizhou and Qianxi area, but the specific reserves need to be further explored. The proven rhenium reserves on the mainland are negligible, far less than the needs of the country's industrial and scientific and technological development. Faced with the shortage of strategic resources such as rhenium, many people have likened it to a "woodpecker" problem, which continues to bring obstacles to economic development. On closer inspection, perhaps this concern is overly so.

The annual consumption is limited, and the supply is acceptable

Although the reserves are very scarce, the global annual consumption of rhenium is only about 50 tons, and the annual output of the mainland is about 2 tons, so the supply is relatively abundant. Advanced economies such as the United States, a major consumer, have also established long-term supply channels and strategic reserves, and the supply chain is functioning normally. There are very few proven reserves, but the mainland is vast and has a large number of unexplored areas, and the potential of rhenium reserves is still unknown. In addition, associated minerals make mining much more difficult, and there may also be underestimation. The shortage of rhenium resources may be a potential unexploded bomb, but it has not yet formed a substantial obstacle.

The recycling demand is still in the exploratory period

The inherent scarcity of rhenium resources determines that resource recycling will become a rigid demand. At present, this field is still in its infancy, and how to efficiently recycle and reuse is still in the exploration stage. Once a mature circulation system is formed, it will greatly alleviate the contradiction of resource shortage. Whether there is a shortage of supply is not an overnight conclusion. From the policy level, take a long-term view and increase the intensity of resource exploration and recovery; It is feasible to promote the alternative use of resources from the technical level. Although there are hidden dangers in the short term, they are not insurmountable obstacles.

There is a real danger of a lack of strategic reserves, but the crisis is not just happening. As long as we focus on the layout from various aspects, maintain a sense of crisis, and put it into action, the problem will eventually be solved, and the shortage of resources is not a self-defeating and unsolvable knot. People are poor and short-sighted, and they often feel that the crisis is approaching when they solve the copper and iron. The reality is that with the advancement of a new round of global scientific and technological revolution and industrial revolution, the competition for scarce resources will only intensify.

Scarce minerals will trigger a "new oil war"

In recent years, India's ban on lithium niobium exports, and the large hoarding of rare earths in Europe and the United States are not uncommon. It is foreseeable that in the future, scarce mineral resources will be like oil, triggering new wars and conflicts. At that time, rhenium and other resources may become strategic bargaining chips for chess players. With the transfer of industries and the development of emerging markets, the demand for scarce resources in developing countries will grow exponentially. The monopoly and plundering of resources by the traditional industrial countries will undoubtedly exacerbate global contradictions and divisions, and the trap of war will also be approaching us. We must take precautions and establish a perfect guarantee system for scarce resources such as rhenium in a timely manner to avoid being controlled by others. Only in this way can we safeguard national interests and control the right to speak in the future war for resources.

In the face of the challenge of scarce resources such as rhenium, we should pay as much attention as we treat life, be cautious and make careful calculations. But at the same time, we should also keep our eyes on the world, and always have insight into the general trend. The competition for scarce resources has never stopped, and opponents are also making unremitting efforts to layout. What are your thoughts? Welcome to share in the comment area!

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