The high-quality development path of phosphorus chemical industry is becoming increasingly clear.

"in the face of problems such as low comprehensive utilization of phosphate rock associated resources, insufficient supply of high-end products, and large accumulation of phosphogypsum, the industry should focus on exploring ways such as technological innovation, industrial structure adjustment, green development, international resource allocation and leading quality and benefit, so as to firmly promote the phosphorus chemical industry and enterprises to move towards the goal of high-quality development." 

From April 14 to 15, the participating experts said at the 2023 China (Yichang) phosphorus Chemical Industry Development Conference and the second Lithium Iron Phosphate Development Strategy Seminar held in Yichang, Hubei Province. 

Structural adjustment has been fruitful. 

Han Jingyou, a second-class inspector of the raw materials department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, pointed out that in recent years, relying on China's relatively rich phosphate rock resources, the phosphorus chemical industry has strengthened governance innovation, accelerated structural adjustment, transformation and upgrading, and achieved remarkable results. 

First, the scale of the industry is the world's leading. 

China has become the largest producer of phosphate rock and phosphorus chemicals, with an output of more than 15.2 million tons of phosphate fertilizer (phosphorus pentoxide) in 2022, and nearly 11 million tons of other phosphate chemicals. 

Second, the ability of innovation has been continuously enhanced. 

China has set up a number of national and provincial research centers, such as the National phosphorus Resources Development and Utilization Engineering Technology Research Center and the National slow and controlled release Fertilizer Engineering Technology Research Center, which have broken through the production technology of a number of high-end materials such as lithium hexafluorophosphate and electronic grade phosphoric acid. Wet purification of phosphoric acid and other associated resources recovery technology, phosphogypsum large-scale and harmless treatment and utilization technology have reached the international advanced level. 

Third, the industrial system is becoming more and more perfect. 

At present, China has a complete industrial chain for the production of deeply processed products such as phosphate rock mining, yellow phosphorus, phosphate fertilizer, phosphates, phosphate, fine phosphorus chemicals, new phosphorus materials, and so on. Form an industrial pattern with phosphate fertilizer as the leading factor and other phosphate chemical products speeding up development. 

Fourth, the intensive development trend is obvious. 

China has cultivated leading phosphorus chemical enterprises represented by Hubei Yihua, Xingfa Group, Guizhou Phosphating and Yuntianhua, and initially formed industrial agglomeration areas such as Yichang in Hubei, Kunming in Yunnan, Guiyang in Guizhou and Deyang in Sichuan. 

"Hubei is the province with the most perfect phosphorus chemical industry chain." 

Xu Fuliang, a second-class inspector of the Economic and Information Department of Hubei Province, said that the province has initially completed a number of phosphorus chemical industry chains, such as high-concentration phosphorus compound fertilizer industry chain, organophosphorus pesticide industry chain, high-end electronic phosphorus chemical industry chain, new energy material industry chain, fluorine-silicon chemical new material industry chain, and so on, striving to break through a number of key core technologies and lead the high-quality development of phosphorus chemical industry. 

There are still problems in green transformation. 

Han Jingyou pointed out that at present, the phosphorus chemical industry still faces some problems, such as low comprehensive utilization rate of phosphate rock associated resources, serious mining wealth and abandoning poverty, insufficient supply of high-end products, low utilization rate of phosphogypsum and large accumulation affecting the ecological environment. 

Jia Zhen, deputy director of the Enterprise Green Governance Center of the Environmental Planning Institute of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said frankly that the environmental risk of phosphogypsum reservoir is greater, and the environmental pollution problem of phosphate fertilizer enterprises is prominent. 

Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan and Yunnan should strengthen the industrial access and control requirements of phosphorus-related chemical parks in the total phosphorus over-standard watersheds, implement double reduction and substitution in the new phosphorus-related projects in the total phosphorus control unit, and implement the special discharge limits of water pollutants. 

He called for the formation of an industrial chain for the comprehensive utilization of phosphogypsum resources, encouraged to strengthen the research and development of large-scale and high-value comprehensive utilization technology, and made efforts to improve the level of comprehensive utilization of phosphogypsum. 

Ye Lijun, secretary general of the China Inorganic Salt Industry Association, also believes that there are also major problems behind the achievements of China's phosphorus chemical industry: first, the heavy tasks of greening and ecological construction, and second, the homogenization of products and serious overcapacity. Third, refinement and high quality need to be improved. 

High-quality development still needs efforts. 

Li Shijiang, chairman of Duofuoduo New Materials Co., Ltd., said that the company achieved the electronic level of fluorine and silicon in fluorosilicic acid, a by-product of phosphate fertilizer, and entered the semiconductor field with electronic grade hydrofluoric acid and electronic grade silane as breakthroughs to form an electronic information material industry system that mastered the core technology; knocked on the door of new energy with lithium hexafluorophosphate to form its own unique new energy industry system with core competitiveness. 

Polyfluoroduo realizes industrial transformation and upgrading through the high-value and efficient utilization of low-grade fluorosilicon resources, which provides reference and reference experience for the green and high-end development of phosphate fertilizer industry. 

Du Jiahai, secretary general of China Chemical Mining Association, proposed to actively explore new mineral processing technologies and new processes for medium and low grade phosphate ores. 

At present, China has made a major breakthrough in the mineral processing technology of medium and low-grade phosphorite, and successively developed flotation, heavy medium mineral processing and other processes, which is in the leading level in the world in the field of phosphate mineral processing. 

At present, many phosphate ore enterprises are carrying on the exploration of photoelectric separation, which has the advantages of low energy consumption and low pollution, so it needs to concentrate the strength of the whole industry to tackle key problems. 

How to promote the green development of phosphorus chemical industry? 

Sun Zhili, deputy secretary-general of the phosphorus Chemical Branch of China Inorganic Salt Industry Association, suggested: first, to improve the comprehensive utilization of phosphate rock resources and realize the comprehensive utilization of phosphate rock associated resources. 

The second is to increase the proportion of renewable energy used in phosphorus chemical production, increase the proportion of green electricity in the production of yellow phosphorus and other products, explore the application technology of coal gasifier in yellow phosphorus production, and realize a new breakthrough of electric-gasifier in yellow phosphorus industry. 

The third is to promote the construction of green phosphorus chemical plants and improve the level of energy saving and consumption reduction in the whole industry. 

The fourth is to explore the use of renewable energy as an alternative energy for mining and chemical industrial park construction to reduce carbon emissions. 

Fifth, create wisdom parks, wisdom factories, unmanned warehouses, etc., to improve labor productivity and reduce safety and environmental protection accidents.