Deposit types, spatial distribution and development and utilization of indium resources in China

This paper is the result of mineral exploration engineering.

Objective Indium is an indispensable raw material for the development of strategic emerging industries, and associated exploration and research will become a hot spot.

Methods Based on the previous data, this paper sorts out and summarizes the types of indium mineral deposits, the quantity, quality, structure, spatial and temporal distribution, development, and utilization of indium resources and import and export trade in China according to the principle of statistical analysis.

Results The types of indium deposits are divided into indium-bearing cassiterite-sulfide deposits, indium-bearing lead and zinc deposits, and indium-bearing other deposits in China. Among them, the first two types account for the majority of resources and are considered exploitable. The spatial distribution, development and utilization of indium-bearing ore deposits in China are mapped. Although indium-bearing deposits are widely distributed in China, they are mainly concentrated in 14 metallogenic belts (regions). There are about 100 indium-bearing orefields in China, in which more than half have been fully or partly utilized and less than half fully remain unutilized.

Conclusions Indium as by product of other ore deposits are the dominant mineral resource in China. The indium industry itself is small in scale. While China exports a significant volume of primary indium products annually to countries such as Japan and South Korea, it remains highly dependent on imports for high-end, large-size indium tin oxide (ITO) targets and other advanced materials. Therefore, the fundamental path to develop the indium industry lies in building core products like domestic production of ITO targets and in strengthening the entire industrial chain.