The Study Of The Mineral Resource Strategy For The Sustainable Development Of Aluminum Industry

Aluminum industry, one of the pillar industries of Henan, is of great importance to the national economy of Henan province, for its sustainable development has a direction relation to the healthy and stable development of the national economy of Henan province. The development of Henan aluminum industry relies on the sustainable supply of bauxite. Therefore, it has great significance to carry out bauxite resource strategy in Henan province.In conformity with the theory of mineral resource strategy, the industrial development status, future demand, resource potentiality and support, environment capability of bauxite resources in Henan province, and resource utilization by Henan in other provinces and abroad are comprehensively studied and analyzed in this thesis.Through the study on the industrial development of bauxite resource, it is concluded that the aluminum industry of Henan still develops with a high speed and superiority to other provinces. However, the support period of proved bauxite resource is short. The recoverable basic reserve of bauxite in Henan is about 696.4 million at present. This reserve is amount to exploited ore of about 216.4 million tons and the static support period of this reserve is shorter than 9 years, which is in severe resource-shortage. Moreover, the input of bauxite exploration has declined in recent years and deep-seated ore prospecting is also not carried out. The bauxite, with high-sulfur content but low grade, covers 20% of the total bauxite resource of Henan. Civilian exploitation is common and the recovery rate is lower than 60%. Through the study on the future demand for bauxite resource in Henan, following conclusions are obtained. Henan is in the middle and late period of industrialization and is in badly need of mineral resources especially bauxite. The demand peak for bauxite would be in the coming ten years. For seek of keeping the superiority of aluminum industry of Henan to the other provinces, bauxite of 377 million tons in grand total is needed in the coming ten years. Through the study on the potentiality of bauxite of Henan, following conclusions are made. Henan has a favorable mineralization condition for bauxite and bauxite-containing rock is widely distributed (covering an area of about 20,000km2). The superficial bauxite (with a depth of 150-300m underground) is mostly proved but those in medium and deep earth (with a depth of 300-1000m underground) are rarely prospected. Therefore, there is still a great room for the exploration of bauxite in middle and deep earth. Potentiality prediction has been made to the medium and deep part of the thirteen potential areas of bauxite metallogenic areas with high possibility of exploration. In these areas, 440 million tons of potential bauxite reserves, equal to 220 million tons of recoverable reserves, is obtained. During the study on the support of bauxite, following ideas are obtained. The establishment of sustainable supply strategy of bauxite should conform to the theory of mineral resource consumption and provide resource support dynamically, namely, increase supply during consumption peak season and decrease supply during consumption slack season. The bauxite mineral recourse can meet the dynamic demand for ten years. Through the study on the resource utilization by Henan in other provinces and countries and the environment capability of Henan, it is concluded that there are still much room in using bauxite both in other provinces and countries and the environment capability of Henan is under control.Based on the above study, the mineral resource strategy for the sustainable development of aluminum industry is put forward. Several specific measures are put forward too, namely, carry out new geological exploration as soon as possible, improve recovery rate, and make full use of two markets and two kinds of resources.