The rare earth companies he invested in polluted seriously, even endangering the lives and health of humans and animals. For Chen Lidong, he had hit the bottom line.

But the other party is Lugang, is it withdrawing its capital? That will inevitably cause a big fuss. Maybe there is no need to start a fuss. In other people's territory, there will be various ways to flatten and round you.

Although Chen Lidong is young, he is not really a child.

Motivated by emotions? It won’t help.

The activities at Lugang have ended. You can’t find an excuse to stay, so you just go back?

Not willing to give in!

Suddenly Chen Lidong remembered what Liu Pinchang said about the Lugang Rare Earth Research Institute and the "cascade closed-circuit process."

Chen Lidong picked up the phone and dialed Chen Fenghe.

"Uncle Chen, I want to visit the leaders and experts of Lugang Rare Earth Research Institute. Can you help me contact them?"

.....................

Lugang Rare Earth Research Institute, established in 1963, is the largest comprehensive rare earth technology research and development institution in China.

Its predecessor was the Lugang Metallurgical Research Institute, which was once affiliated to the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry. In 1992, the scientific research institute was restructured and the Rare Earth Research Institute was merged into Lugang.

This research institute can be called the "Whampoa Military Academy" of China's rare earth industry. Rare earth industries across the country have talents from Lugang Rare Earth Research Institute.

However, there is a lack of talent at the Rare Earth Research Institute, and most of them are old college students who graduated in the 1960s.

Note that "old" refers to both seniority and age.

The person currently in charge of the research institute is Huo Pengqi, who is about to retire.

Huo Pengqi is tall, has a red face, and speaks with a slight southern accent, but his personality is definitely that of a northern man.

Huo Penqi met Chen Lidong at the meeting a few days ago. Because Chen Lidong was the only "outsider", he was deeply impressed.

Huo Penqi was very happy about the arrival of Chen Lidong and Edmund.

The old man first introduced the basic situation and glorious history of Yitong Research Institute, and then said:

"Actually, I am the old dean and the new dean. When the institute was merged into Lugang a few years ago, Lugang General Manager Comrade Bi Qin served as the dean.

The year before last, Bi Qin went to Beigang as chairman, and I took over.

By the way, Dean Bi is from Zhao Province.

He has a business acumen. Under his leadership, our institute has broken the "big pot" mentality and achieved an effective combination of technology and industry.

He also attaches great importance to R&D investment. Under his leadership, we have won national scientific and technological progress awards such as the production of NdFeB permanent magnets and the feasibility study of high-field strength multi-pole magnetic ring magnetization."

Hearing this, Chen Lidong thought for a moment that Li Taishun's multi-pole magnetic ring magnetization process was based on this paper. This is really... a profound origin.

When Huo Penqi said this, he remembered to ask Chen Lidong about the specific purpose of his visit: "Dr. Chen, when he gets older, he likes to talk about things like old millet and rotten sesame seeds.

You're not coming here this time to visit me, an old man, are you?"

Chen Lidong hurriedly said: "Dean Huo, I heard Liu Pinchang, Director of the Gan Province Rare Earth Research Institute, mention something a few days ago.

He said that you are studying the "cascade closed-circuit process" of rare earth mineral processing and smelting. I would like to ask you about this process.

It’s a bit presumptuous, and I don’t know if this technology has confidentiality requirements.”

"Oh...we have just started.

There were several links that required help from the Gan Provincial Research Institute, so I contacted Xiao Liu.

As for confidentiality...it's not involved at the moment.

It's just that for this process, we have just finished the theory and program design.

There's nothing to show you.

Let me briefly explain the general idea first. If you have anything you want to know, we can discuss it later."

Next, Dean Huo pulled out a blueprint from under his desk and introduced the design concept of this process to Chen Lidong based on the blueprint.

"Cascade closed-circuit process" is a mineral processing process.

This process is aimed at the tailings of Lugang.

Magnetic separation and flotation are used in the treatment process.

Magnetic selection has been introduced before, so I won’t go into detail here.

After magnetic separation, most of the iron is removed from the tailings, and then flotation is carried out.

Flotation is a beneficiation method that uses the different physical and chemical properties of mineral surfaces to separate minerals. Simply put, it is to rush a large amount of air and foaming agent into the water to dissolve the tailings into the water.

Iron beneficiation tailings containing rare earths are divided into two parts: easy-to-floatate minerals and difficult-to-flotate minerals.

The main minerals that are easy to float are rare earths and fluorspar.

Note that the main component of fluorite is calcium fluoride. Fluorine not only exists in fluorite, but also in some groundwater and hot springs. China's drinking water standards stipulate that fluoride should not exceed 1 mg per liter of drinking water. If it contains

Excessive fluoride can cause fluorosis, which can range from blackening of teeth and "fluorosis" to severe joint deformation and even loss of labor force. This is also the root cause of diseases among herdsmen, cattle and sheep.

Difficult to flotation minerals, or flotation tailings, are mainly composed of iron and niobium.

The so-called cascade closed circuit means repeated rounds of crushing, screening, magnetic separation, and flotation. In the end, these materials are obtained: iron concentrate powder, rare earth concentrate, fluorite, and niobium.

Iron powder and niobium are given to steel companies. Niobium can be used to make alloy steel and can also be used in the nuclear industry.

The purity of rare earth concentrates can reach over 60%, and are handed over to rare earth refining companies for extraction to obtain high-purity rare earth metals.

Fluorite is widely used. It can be used as a flux in steelmaking to remove impurities in molten steel. It can also be used in the glass industry to make lenses.

Finally, Huo Penqi threw the pencil onto the open drawing and said: "Xiao Chen, this process is theoretically feasible, and the experimental operation is no problem. We have designed this process and plan to develop equipment.

But the capital investment is very large, alas..."

Mr. Huo kept talking eloquently, but in the end he sighed, making Chen Lidong not sure how to continue the conversation.

After thinking about the introduction just now, Chen Lidong asked hesitantly: "Dean Huo, you said that the research on this technology is for the tailings of Lugang Steel?"

"Well, the tailings pond is accumulating more and more, and the risks are getting bigger and bigger. We should hurry up and rectify it."

"Oh...um...Dean Huo, is it okay to use this technology to beneficiate minerals?"

"That's definitely possible. I talked for a long time. This process is to drain the Baiyun Mine and use all the resources... Oh, at least not less than 80%. After several rounds of magnetic

After separation and flotation, the rare earth concentrate collected can contain more than 60% rare earth, which is called a rare earth concentrate."

"Dean Huo, let me tell you the truth. I am here this time to find an advanced process that can replace the process of pyrometallurgical smelting of rare earths."

"Replace the fire method? Why replace the fire method?"

Chen Lidong opened the leather bag next to him, took out a stack of photos, handed it to Huo Penqi, and said: "Dean Huo, I wonder if you have heard that there are dozens of new rare earth smelting plants in Baiyun Mine.

Our company also has collective enterprises and joint venture factories.

These factories use ores from Baiyun Mine to directly smelt rare earths, which causes great damage to the environment.

There are so many factories, so many chimneys, and the smoke has not been treated, which seriously pollutes the atmosphere and water sources. The herdsmen’s lambs have become sick. These children have “fluorosis”. It is estimated that many people in that area are suffering from dental fluorosis.

Fluorosis is rare.

I am opposed to this approach of developing the economy at the expense of destroying the environment, so I came to seek a new process with you to reduce the damage and enable the healthy development of the rare earth industry."

Huo Penqi put these photos on his desk and looked at them carefully one by one, frowning tightly.

"So serious?"

"It's probably more serious."

Chen Lidong took out the report drafted by Zhou Wenliang and handed it over: "This is a piece of information I received in the hotel. I don't know who slipped it in through the crack in the door."

Huo Penqi opened the material and read it carefully.

After reading it, the old man shouted: "This is nonsense! Are these people's hearts dark?"

The old man walked around the office twice and said to Chen Lidong: "Xiao Chen, refining rare earths by fire will not cause such great harm. The key is that these factories have not treated the smoke and dust from the kilns.

The country issued the "Air Pollutant Emission Standards" last year. Judging from the photos you brought, the exhaust emissions from those factories definitely do not meet the standards.

Well, let me first report the relevant situation to Mr. Lu. Starting from our own enterprise, Lugang, we must strictly implement emission standards, implement environmental protection measures, and put an end to excessive emissions.

I will also communicate with the environmental protection department to monitor the extent of environmental damage.

The rare earth industry has caused such great harm to the environment, and our research institute is also responsible. Regardless of the fire method or the wet method, many process technologies came from here. If we don't stop this behavior, we will bear infamy."

"That's great, Dean Huo.

If you can pay attention to this matter, you will definitely get attention from all aspects, which is much better than me, an outsider, making nonsense."

"Outsider, why are you an outsider? Are you a shareholder of Lugang Rare Earth Hi-tech, or a major shareholder with a say?" Having said this, Huo Penqi sat down again and looked through the photos.

After a few minutes, the old man said more seriously: "Xiao Chen, it's rare that your boss pays so much attention to environmental issues.

Did you know? Speaking of harm to the environment, there is another place that is even more serious than the situation in Baiyun Mine."

Chen Lidong picked up the cup and was about to take a sip of water. He was thinking: Mr. Huo's expression didn't seem to be pretentious and his words were very sincere. With his promotion, the environmental pollution problem should attract the attention of all parties and will not spread.

I felt relieved that I had fulfilled my responsibility.

Unexpectedly, the old man stared at him and said this again.
To be continued...