In order to change the backward situation of rare earth polishing materials, China has formulated the Rare Earth Industry Development Plan (2016-2020). The plan clearly states: "To develop high-performance rare earth polishing powder and rare earth polishing fluid, products reach or close to the international advanced level, meet the application requirements of liquid crystal, silicon wafer, high-grade glass substrate polishing."

Recently, the Science and Technology and Information Bureau of rare Earth High-tech Zone has carried out the application of the project "1+1" Action Plan for Enterprise Youth Scientific and technological Innovation ". After the evaluation, it has finally confirmed the project support to baotou Rare Earth Research Institute, Baotou Zhongke Yuhang Polishing Materials Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as Zhongke Yuhang) and other 7 enterprises and units. At the beginning of this year, The company has built an annual output of 6000 tons of rare earth polishing powder production line, breaking the monopoly of foreign enterprises on the high-end polishing powder market.

China's polishing materials urgently need high-end

In recent years, with the continuous expansion of LCD industry, high-performance LIQUID crystal polishing powder has been rapidly developed. Hong Guangyan, a renowned rare earth expert and professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said rare earth polishing materials account for a high proportion of rare earth consumption in industrialized countries, and have been widely used in polishing optical glass, liquid crystal glass substrates and touch screen glass cover plates.

Polishing refers to the use of mechanical, chemical or electrochemical methods to reduce the surface roughness of the workpiece, in order to obtain a bright, smooth surface processing method. Chemical and mechanical polishing is an ideal technology to solve the problem of surface flattening.

According to zhang Hailong, general manager of Rain aviation, domestic polishing powder has been used every year from the 1980s less than 40 tons increased to more than 20 thousand tons.

"Now, Japanese and Korean polishing powder companies buy middle and low grade polishing powder from China as raw materials and use their technology to produce high-end polishing powder, which is exported to China, Europe and the United States and other countries to earn high profits. Most of the high-end polishing powder used in China is imported from Japan and South Korea."

In order to change the backward situation of rare earth polishing materials, China has formulated the Rare Earth Industry Development Plan (2016-2020) (hereinafter referred to as the Plan). It is clearly pointed out in the Plan that "high-performance rare earth polishing powder and rare earth polishing fluid should be developed to meet or approach the international advanced level and meet the application requirements of liquid crystal, silicon wafer and high-grade glass substrate polishing."

The policy orientation is very obvious, but the development status of polishing materials in China is not optimistic. Hong guangyan introduced that the vast majority of Rare earth polishing powder manufacturers in China have simple and backward technology, simple equipment and different production methods, which are difficult to meet the domestic demand for high-performance rare earth polishing materials.

"Due to the backward production process of rare earth polishing powder in China, the development of rare earth polishing powder in high-end field lags behind seriously, and the development of rare earth polishing powder industry and downstream industry is also restricted." In general, the diversified production of rare earth polishing materials should be further strengthened, Hong said.