China places high-purity quartz to country’s official list of strategic mineral resources

China has officially identified a new mineral species, high-purity quartz, a vital material in advanced technologies such as semiconductors and solar photovoltaics. This is reported by Global Times, a partner of TV BRICS.

The discovery is set to significantly reduce the country’s reliance on imported materials and strengthen the resilience of its high-tech industrial supply chains, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Through recent nationwide strategic mineral exploration initiatives, multiple deposits have been confirmed. Research teams have made substantial progress in purification processes, successfully producing trial-grade quartz sand with purities reaching 4N5 (99.995%) and, in some cases, 4N8 (99.998%).

According to experts, the establishment of high-purity quartz as a strategic domestic resource will be crucial in promoting the development of advanced productive forces and safeguarding the integrity of industrial supply chains. These developments also pave the way for China to strengthen its position in key global markets reliant on high-tech manufacturing.

In line with national goals, the Ministry of Natural Resources has confirmed that high-purity quartz will be added to the country’s official list of strategic mineral resources. Future steps include the creation of a dedicated engineering and technology innovation centre for high-purity quartz, alongside coordinated national surveys to evaluate and quantify resource reserves.

Efforts will also focus on scientific innovation in ore-forming theories, advanced exploration technologies, and high-efficiency purification techniques, all aimed at enabling large-scale industrial application of domestically sourced quartz materials.

Photo:  CCTV