Indium

The natural reserves in the earth's crust are 6000 tons, and the recoverable reserves exceed 2000 tons. In 2004, the world's production of indium was 405 tons. China, Japan, Canada, Belgium and Russia are the major producers of indium. 80% of global supply. Mainly used for flat panel display, alloy, semiconductor data transmission, aerospace products manufacturing. It is mainly associated with lead-zinc ore, and the output of primary indium in China was only 410 tons in 2005. Indium is an associated metal, but the content of zinc concentrate is calculated by PPM (parts per million), which is very small and cannot be regenerated.

rare earth

Rare earths consist of 16 natural elements (scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium), and one synthetic element (promethium). Natural reserves of more than 0.15 billion tons, recoverable reserves of more than 0.088 billion tons. Supply accounts for more than 80% of the global total. Used in the manufacture of composite materials, magnesium, aluminum, titanium and other alloy materials, is vividly likened to "industrial monosodium glutamate".

germanium

Production accounts for 50% of the world. It is mainly used in the production of night vision, thermal imager, petroleum product catalyst, solar cell, etc., and is widely used in the field of optical fiber communication.

In addition, tantalum, strontium, antimony, cadmium, iridium, bismuth, rhodium, titanium, nickel, zirconium, chromium, cobalt, etc. and nickel-chromium, nickel-chromium-silicon, nickel-aluminum, titanium-aluminum, iron-nickel, etc., many of which are strategic metals in Europe, also have a wide range of uses in national defense construction, and some have been used in spacecraft manufacturing and military applications. For example, metal tantalum is not only useful in artillery, but also a necessary material for future space exploration. Its peculiar physical and chemical properties are still being studied by scientists, and the special use of tantalum alloys is still under research and development.

Titanium

Titanium and titanium alloys are widely used in the aviation industry, known as "space metal"; in addition, in the shipbuilding industry, chemical industry, manufacturing machinery parts, telecommunications equipment, cemented carbide and other aspects have an increasingly wide range of applications. In addition, because titanium alloy also has good compatibility with the human body, titanium alloy can also be used as artificial bone.

Vanadium

The reason why vanadium is used in steel is that vanadium can generate stable carbon compounds (V4C3) with carbon elements in steel, which can refine the structure and grains of steel and increase the temperature of grain coarsening. Significantly improve the performance of steel. It can increase the strength, toughness, corrosion resistance, wear resistance and the ability to withstand impact loads.

Tungsten

It accounts for 85% of the global supply. Mainly used in cemented carbide, special steel and other products, and is widely used in the defense industry, aerospace, information industry, known as the "industrial teeth". Tungsten can withstand high temperatures, so tungsten alloys are widely used in machinery and weapons industries. For example, tungsten alloys are used in the firing tubes of guns and cannons. The projectiles used in the military as armor-piercing bullets are made of high-density alloy steel, tungsten carbide and other materials that are much harder than tank armor. The mechanical properties of tungsten alloys are similar to those of depleted uranium, and the disadvantages of depleted uranium are its advantages. Tungsten is not radioactive, and its chemical properties are very stable. It will not oxidize even at high temperatures above 1000°C, and its hardness will not decrease significantly. This is very beneficial to the high temperature metal jet of the armor-piercing projectile. Tungsten hardness is extremely high, mainly used for steel metal alloy, after adding tungsten steel hardness will be greatly improved, in the field of metal processing tool material high speed steel is tungsten alloy. If a country does not have tungsten, there will be a great lack of metal processing capacity under the current technical conditions, which will directly lead to the paralysis of the machinery industry, so it is called strategic metal. In addition, tungsten must also be used as a filament in the field of lighting.

Molybdenum

24% of global supply. Used for refining all kinds of alloy steel, stainless steel, heat-resistant steel, super alloy, widely used in the military industry, known as "war metal".

rare earth

Supply accounts for more than 80% of the global total. Used in the manufacture of composite materials, magnesium, aluminum, titanium and other alloy materials, is vividly likened to "industrial monosodium glutamate.

In addition, tantalum, strontium, antimony, cadmium, iridium, bismuth, rhodium, titanium, nickel, zirconium, chromium, cobalt, etc. and nickel-chromium, nickel-chromium-silicon, nickel-aluminum, titanium-aluminum, iron-nickel, etc., many of these are strategic metals in Europe are also widely used in national defense construction.