Where are all the molybdenum mines in China?

As a research institute with a "mine at home", today we would like to share with you a relatively rich mineral in our motherland. The gold, silver, copper and other minerals that people often mention are not very abundant in China, but there is one kind of mineral that is very abundant and important in China, that is molybdenum (mù) ore.

What is molybdenum ore?

Molybdenum (English: Molybdenum), with the chemical symbol Mo, atomic number 42 and atomic weight 95.95.

In its pure form, molybdenum is a silvery-grey metal with a Mohs hardness of 5.5. It has a melting point of 2620 °C and a boiling point of 5560 °C.

The molybdenum ore we usually see in the wild is often molybdenite. The chemical formula of molybdenite is MoS2. It has a similar appearance and crystal structure to graphite, so it has the same lubricating effect as graphite. In the crystal, molybdenum atoms are arranged in layers, sandwiched between two layers of sulfur atoms. The molybdenum-sulfur bonds in this structure are very strong, but the layers are acted on by intermolecular forces, which are weak. Therefore, molybdenite is easy to cleave.

These pieces are molybdenite, which feels smooth and stains your hands.

Are molybdenum mines important? The answer is yes. Molybdenum is a very important strategic resource with the characteristics of high melting point, corrosion resistance, small expansion coefficient, high electrical conductivity and good thermal conductivity. Molybdenum and its alloys have wide applications and good prospects in metallurgy, electrical, chemical, agriculture, military and aerospace (additives to various alloy steels, or advanced alloys with tungsten, nickel, cobalt, zirconium, titanium, vanadium, rhenium, etc. to improve their high temperature strength, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Molybdenum-containing alloys are used to manufacture aircraft metal components, corrosion-resistant parts on locomotives and automobiles, and are also used to manufacture alloy components and parts for warships, tanks, guns, rockets, satellites, etc.).

alloy

Lubricants

Spacecraft

Electronics

In 1778, Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele first obtained molybdenum oxide from molybdenite. Then in 1781, Swede Peter Jacob Hjem used the carbon reduction method to separate metallic molybdenum. In 1953, molybdenum was confirmed as an essential trace element for animals and plants.

There are more than 30 kinds of molybdenum-containing minerals in nature, but the most important and widely distributed one is molybdenite. Among them, more than 90% of industrial molybdenum ores are porphyry deposits.

The world's major porphyry molybdenum deposits

According to the 2020 data of the Mineral Commodities Summary of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), as of the end of 2019, the world's molybdenum reserves were 18 million tons. Among them, China has 8.3 million tons of molybdenum reserves, making it the world's largest molybdenum resource country, Peru has 2.9 million tons of molybdenum reserves, ranking second, followed by the United States with 2.7 million tons, Chile with 1.4 million tons, and Russia with 1 million tons.

In 2019, the world's molybdenum production was 290,000 tons: among them, China's molybdenum production was 130,000 tons, accounting for about 44.83%, making it the world's largest molybdenum producer. Chile's molybdenum production was 54,000 tons, ranking second, followed by the United States (44,000 tons).

China's molybdenum mines are indeed the best in the world.

So

Where are China's molybdenum deposits distributed?

The following information mainly comes from the many years of research results of Researcher Zeng Qingdong, a molybdenum mine expert from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

China's molybdenum deposits can be divided into six major metallogenic belts.

1. Northeast Molybdenum Mineralization Province - the northernmost molybdenum mineralization belt in China;

2. Yanliao molybdenum metallogenic belt-northern margin of North China block;

3. Qinling Molybdenum Metallogenic Belt - China's North-South Dividing Line;

4. The molybdenum mineralization area in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River - located in the Jiangnan region;

5. South China molybdenum mineralization area-southeast coast;

6. Sanjiang Molybdenum Mineralization Belt - the highest molybdenum mineralization belt on the roof of the world.

China's molybdenum deposits are mainly concentrated in the above six major metallogenic belts, and different metallogenic belts are distributed with molybdenum deposits of different sizes. Among them, the Qinling metallogenic belt has the largest amount of molybdenum resources.

Molybdenum resources: Qinling Mountains > Northeast China > Yanliao > Sanjiang > South China > middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

What are the typical molybdenum deposits in China?

01

Northeast Molybdenum Metallogenic Province

There are four super-large molybdenum deposits in Northeast China: Chalukou, Luming, Diyanqinamu and Daheishan.

The region has experienced multiple phases of tectonic-magmatic activities and multiple phases of mineralization (Paleozoic-Mesozoic), and the deposits are mainly porphyry-type molybdenum ores.

02

Yanliao molybdenum mineralization belt

The molybdenum mines in the Yanliao area are mainly porphyry and skarn types, with three stages of mineralization in the Triassic, Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. The more famous super-large molybdenum mine is the Cao Siyao Molybdenum Mine.

03

Qinling Molybdenum Mineralization Belt

Qinling is the region with the most molybdenum in China, with nine well-known super-large molybdenum deposits: Shapinggou, Qian'echong, Donggou, Yuchiling, Nannihu, Chitudian, Shangfanggou, Yechangping, and Jinduicheng. The deposits in this region are mainly porphyry, porphyry-skarn, skarn, and vein types, and are mainly Triassic and Early Cretaceous.

04

Molybdenum mineralization area in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River

The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are dominated by skarn copper deposits, which are associated with many molybdenum deposits. They were formed in the Early Cretaceous, such as the Baizhangyan skarn molybdenum deposit in Anqing. Here is a little scientific knowledge: porphyry deposits, skarn deposits and nearby hydrothermal vein deposits often have close genetic connections and often constitute a common mineralization system. The world's most famous Pacific West Coast, South America, has the world's largest porphyry copper deposits, which are also associated with many molybdenum deposits.

05

South China Molybdenum Mineralization Belt

South China is characterized by tungsten and tin minerals, with a small number of molybdenum deposits, such as the Yuanlingzhai molybdenum mine, which were mainly formed in the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods.

06

Sanjiang Molybdenum Mineralization Belt

The region is characterized by porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits, such as the famous Qulong porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit. The deposits are often found in Mesozoic strata and Mesozoic-Cenozoic granites. The mineralization era is Cenozoic, and the mineralization is related to Cenozoic intermediate-acidic intrusive rocks.

Now that we know where China's molybdenum deposits are mainly distributed,

So what are the characteristics of their mineralization time?

Are there any special laws of time and space?

China's molybdenum deposits are mainly divided into six mineralization periods: Precambrian; Paleozoic; Triassic; Jurassic; Early Cretaceous; Cenozoic.

The formation age of molybdenum deposits in China

1

Spatial distribution of Precambrian and Paleozoic molybdenum deposits

Molybdenum deposits in the Precambrian and Paleozoic are widely distributed, and there are many molybdenum mines in the Yangtze Plate and the Central Asian Orogenic Belt in northern China.

2

Spatial distribution of Triassic molybdenum deposits

As can be seen from the figure, most of the Triassic molybdenum deposits are distributed in northern China.

3

Spatial distribution of Jurassic molybdenum deposits

The distribution of Jurassic molybdenum deposits also has very obvious characteristics, all concentrated in eastern China.

4

Spatial distribution of Early Cretaceous molybdenum deposits

The distribution characteristics of Early Cretaceous molybdenum deposits are similar to those of Jurassic molybdenum deposits, and they are mainly concentrated in the eastern region of China.

5

Spatial distribution of Cenozoic molybdenum deposits

The Cenozoic molybdenum mines are mainly concentrated in the Sanjiang area of ​​Tibet. It seems that the subduction of the Indian plate and the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have provided my country with a lot of molybdenum resources.

As molybdenum ore is a superior mineral species in my country, we must understand its status, conduct sufficient research and make rational use of it.

Author: Wu Jinjian

Art Editor: Yu Xiaojin

Proofreading: Zhang Song, Wang Haibo

Source: Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences