The Electochemical Separation Technology research team at the Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, recently made a significant breakthrough in the economic utilization of ultra-low-grade rubidium resources in the Qarhan Salt Lake, which is of great importance for ensuring the supply of rubidium, a strategic key metal in China.
Rubidium is a rare metal element widely used in high-tech fields such as aerospace, national defense and military industry, information technology, biomedicine, and new energy. China has considerable rubidium resources, with Qinghai and Tibet’s salt lake brines being rich in rubidium.
The Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has carried out multiple studies on the efficient enrichment and separation extraction of rubidium and cesium from salt lakes, focusing on key scientific foundations and technologies. Through model calculations and experimental validation, they identified the decomposition mother liquor of sylvite and crude potassium chloride as the optimal process nodes for rubidium element enrichment, providing solid theoretical guidance for the efficient separation and extraction of rubidium. The research team developed an integrated process route of “ore washing and rubidium leaching, evaporation enrichment, solvent extraction, and crystallization purification,” achieving economical extraction and high-quality utilization of ultra-low-grade rubidium resources from chloride-type salt lakes.
This research result introduces an innovative theoretical model and process route, providing a demonstration for the scientific development of similar salt lake rubidium resources. It holds significant importance for enhancing China’s key mineral resource security and promoting the comprehensive utilization of salt lake resources.
(People’s Daily, June 28, 2025)