China is rich in talc resources, and its ore deposits are distributed... 20 Province (or autonomous region), concentrated distribution in 5 In the province, talc production and processing primarily employ dry-processing methods.

　　China is both a major producer and a major consumer of talc. Talc is soft and smooth, with high electrical insulation properties, thermal insulation, a high melting point, and strong adsorption capacity for oils. It is widely used in industries such as papermaking, chemical processing, pharmaceuticals, rubber, ceramics, paints, and cosmetics.

　　China boasts abundant and high-quality talc resources, with substantial proven reserves. 27585.35 Ten thousand tons, including proven reserves 9211.7 Ten thousand tons, resource amount 18373.65 Ten thousand tons—the reserves rank second in the world. In China, talc is primarily mined from relatively stable Precambrian continental blocks, ancient continental margins, or subduction zones of tectonic plates; ore deposits are distributed... 20 Among the provinces (and autonomous regions), Liaoning, Shandong, Guangxi, Jiangxi, and Qinghai have relatively large resource reserves, accounting for the nation's total talc reserves. 90% The above.

　　For many years, China's annual production of talc has remained stable at... 200 Around 10,000 tons. Due to the global economic slowdown in recent years, coupled with the fact that most of China's domestic mines are gradually entering a phase of mine renovation as their primary ore bodies reach the end of their productive life. , Production has dropped to 180 Around 10,000 tons. 2017 Due to the impact of environmental remediation efforts, production is expected to decline to... 150 Less than 10,000 tons.

　　The production and processing of white talc are primarily concentrated in three major bases: Liaoning, Guangxi, and Shandong. Jiangxi is the country’s largest producer of black talc. , However, due to issues with mining rights, black talc in Jiangxi is currently in a state of suspended production.

　　The mining of talc is mostly carried out using a combination of mechanical and manual methods. In areas where the ore is relatively easy to extract, open-pit mining is commonly employed on slopes, such as the Guping and Jizhua talc mines in Longsheng, Guangxi, and the Hei Talc Mine in Guangfeng, Jiangxi. Since in some regions talc often occurs in association with magnesite, many mines adopt an open-pit mining approach that separately extracts talc and magnesite—for example, certain mines in Haicheng, Liaoning, and Laizhou, Shandong. Secondly, there is also depression-type open-pit mining, which primarily relies on mechanical equipment, such as the talc mine in Pingdu, Shandong. Open-pit mining typically employs multi-exit extraction systems, with combined bench mining being the predominant method. In addition, underground mining is widely practiced, utilizing various tunneling techniques including flat drifts, inclined shafts, and vertical shafts. The three main mining methods commonly used in underground operations are the room-and-pillar method, the natural caving method, and the backfilling method—examples of which can be found in some mines in Qixia and Haicheng, Liaoning.

　　Currently, the processing of talc in China mainly relies on dry-processing methods. The overall level of processing equipment among talc enterprises varies considerably. Some enterprises have achieved internationally leading standards in both their processing equipment and testing facilities, while others have implemented digital control and fully automated monitoring and management systems at both their mining sites and powder-processing plants, thereby building modern talc-processing bases. However, the equipment and processing capabilities of most small-scale enterprises still remain at the level of Raymond mills from a decade ago, placing them in the stage of rough talc processing.

　　Talc is a layered silicate mineral, and wet-processing technology represents a new direction for the industry’s development. While wet processing has already become widely adopted in the calcium carbonate industry, wet production of ultrafine talc powder in China is still at an early stage. With the development and utilization of domestic equipment such as vortex ultrafine mills, wet grinding can produce ultrafine talc powder with a narrower particle-size distribution, primarily used in high-end ceramics, plastics, premium papermaking, and coatings industries. From a developmental perspective, wet processing of talc represents a new research frontier for China’s talc industry and offers a promising solution to the challenges faced by mid- and low-grade talc products.

　　Market Status: China's annual exports of talc remain at... 70 With an output of around 10,000 tons, it is the world’s leading exporter of talc.

　　Domestic market: last century 80 In recent years, the talc industry has begun to standardize its product manufacturing processes, gradually producing talc powder for papermaking as well as talc powder grades suitable for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food applications, and talc powder grades for cables, rubber, and plastics. Annual sales amount to... 250 Around 10,000 tons. With the development of the non-metallic mineral industry, talc powder used as a filler in the papermaking industry has gradually been replaced by calcium carbonate, leading to a significant reduction in the use of talc in the paper industry. However, most low-grade talc mixtures—such as talc—still remain in use. — Dolomite, talc — Dolomite and other similar materials, due to their low cost, are still widely used in the domestic papermaking industry. Thanks to talc’s flaky structure, it imparts excellent flexural strength and impact resistance when incorporated into polymer materials. In recent years, benefiting from the rapid development of the automotive industry, the demand for talc powder has been steadily increasing. However, influenced by environmental concerns, ultrafine talc powder will gradually be replaced by talc masterbatches in the new materials sector in the future, accelerating the shift toward high-end products and enhancing product added value—a trend that represents the direction of development for China’s talc industry. In the domestic market, the application areas of medium- and low-grade talc and calcium carbonate largely overlap; yet, talc prices remain higher than those of calcium carbonate, resulting in a supply-demand imbalance characterized by oversupply. High-grade talc, owing to its superior talc properties, continues to experience strong demand exceeding supply. This year, affected by environmental regulations, some talc enterprises in Liaoning and Shandong have temporarily suspended production, leading to a shortage of medium- and low-grade talc as well. However, as mining companies complete their rectifications and resume operations, the tight supply situation for talc is expected to ease gradually.

　　According to international market surveys of talc, the international market is crucial to the development of China's talc industry, with export volumes accounting for a significant portion of production. 35% Around. In recent years, due to the impact of national policies, the price of talc in China has risen annually, driving a rapid increase in exports from emerging talc-producing countries. Currently, China’s annual talc export volume remains at... 70 With an output of around 10,000 tons, it remains the world’s largest exporter of talc. 2017 This year, China abolished the export tariff and quota management for talc exports, which has been beneficial to the talc industry’s exports. However, due to the substantial rise in mining costs and environmental remediation expenses, the export price of talc remains higher than that of countries such as Pakistan and India.

　　As a non-metallic mineral filler, the primary applications of high-grade talc remain in the plastics industry, the cosmetics industry, and the pharmaceutical industry. 2016 In recent years, due to the U.S. court’s ruling on Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder cancer case, sales of talc in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries have plummeted, dropping sharply compared to the same period in previous years. 60% Around the same time, due to the relatively low prices of high-grade white talc from countries such as Pakistan and India, major international talc corporations have been extensively using talc raw materials from these regions. As a result, China’s exports of talc to European and American markets have also declined significantly. 2017 Yearly European and American markets 1~8 Monthly sales declined year-on-year. 50% The above.

　　In China, the primary applications of medium- and low-grade talc in overseas markets remain in industries such as papermaking and coatings, with Japan and Southeast Asia being the main sales markets. As calcium carbonate has become widely used in papermaking and coatings, the demand for talc in these industries has been gradually declining. However, due to talc’s low abrasiveness and its ability to prevent discoloration in paper, it still finds some use in printing and packaging papers. At the beginning of this century, international regulations on the asbestos content in talc have become increasingly stringent, making it increasingly difficult to export medium- and low-grade talc.

　　In recent years, another key issue that the talc industry needs to pay attention to is that European and American countries have once again begun to impose requirements stipulating that the quartz content in talc must be less than... 1% The standard. 2015 This year, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare began commissioning relevant talc companies to conduct research on the health risks posed by quartz in talc. A new standard for the quartz content in talc is expected to be introduced. Once the new standard is implemented, it will become more difficult to export mid- and low-grade talc.

　 　Problems facing China's talc industry:
        First, the rate of resource consumption is excessively rapid, leading to a shortage of high-quality resources. In recent years, while the talc industry has been developing, it has—like other industries—paid a heavy price in terms of resource depletion. On the other hand, virtually no exploration efforts have been directed toward talc resources; private prospecting activities remain small-scale, and any occasional discovery of new deposits yields only superficial and speculative data. A significant portion of the reserves remains unutilized effectively due to technical, economic, and development-related constraints.

　　In terms of mining technology, open-pit mining currently boasts a relatively high recovery rate, typically ranging from... 90% Above, some mines have reached 95% The recovery rate for underground mining is generally 70% , lower than open-pit mining 20% There are significant reserves losses. The primary reasons are limitations imposed by geological conditions, mining technology, and safe production practices.

　　Second, the industry as a whole suffers from relatively low R&D capabilities and technological levels. This is mainly reflected in the following aspects: There is a lack of industrial-scale, high-purity processing equipment, making it impossible for products to meet the demands of high-tech applications; ultrafine grinding and fine classification equipment still have certain shortcomings in terms of scaling up production, achieving finer product quality, and enabling intelligent process control; the quality of surface-modified products for specialized applications remains to be improved. As environmental standards become increasingly stringent, carrier-free talc granulation will gradually become the preferred choice in downstream application industries.

　　Recommendation: Accelerate the adjustment of industrial structure, promote independent innovation, and advance green and clean production.

　　First, we must intensify efforts to explore talc resources and increase resource reserves. Based on the assessment of China’s talc mineral resource potential, we should: first, further expand the scope of exploration in the primary production areas; and second, step up exploration efforts in the central and western regions based on geological data. In terms of funding for exploration, in line with the country’s new industrial policies, we can adopt a market-oriented approach, led by industry associations, and combine government funds with private capital to accelerate the exploration of talc resources, thereby providing strong resource support for the industry’s development.

　　Second, accelerate the adjustment of the industrial structure. Relying on resource-rich regions and existing industrial foundations, encourage enterprises to transcend geographical boundaries. Based on the four major talc-producing areas—Shandong, Liaoning, Guangxi, and Jiangxi—establish talc mining and processing bases. Through various forms of restructuring and mergers, form large-scale enterprise groups, further enhancing industry concentration and preventing low-price competition among enterprises within the same region. This will enable the industry to compete with foreign multinational mining companies using its overall strength and competitiveness.

　　Third, we must build an industry driven by independent innovation. Taking independent innovation as the driving force, we should fully leverage the advantages and unique characteristics of China’s talc resources, intensify efforts to develop comprehensive utilization technologies for low-grade talc ore resources, and through advanced processing techniques such as ultrafine grinding, novel surface modification, mineral purification, low-temperature (energy-saving) calcination and purification, and preparation of composite nanomaterials, create new products and establish an industrial chain with independent intellectual property rights, thereby promoting a shift in the industry from extensive to intensive development.

　　Fourth, promote green and clean production. Advance the green transformation of traditional manufacturing industries and foster the establishment of a green, low-carbon, and circular industrial system. Abandon the market mindset that relies solely on quantity and low-price competition; appropriately control market size, enhance product added value, and strengthen competitiveness in the international market. Intensify efforts to address environmental pollution and comprehensively improve the quality of the ecological environment. In talc-producing regions rich in resources and endowed with strong capabilities in management innovation, launch pilot zones for the development of green mining.