Phosphorus——a critical non-metal essential for agriculture and new energy industry

Phosphorus is a critical non-metallic mineral resource, which is widely used in fertilizers, pesticides, new energy batteries and the electronic information industry. China is rich in phosphate mineral resources, but its spatial distribution is very uneven, mainly concentrating in Yunnan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces. There are five types of phosphorus deposits, including the sedimentary, the igneous rock, the metamorphic, the secondary and the guano, of which sedimentary phosphorus deposits account for about 75%. Phosphorus mainly occurs as independent minerals in phosphate deposits. Characterized by fine grain-size, phosphorus minerals are collectively known as collophanite (including fluorine apatite, carbon apatite, hydroxyapatite and chlorapatite, among which fluorine apatite is the most widely distributed and the most common). The main sources of phosphorus are phosphorus-rich seawater brought by rising ocean currents, decomposition of biological remains, volcanic eruption material, terrigenous detrital material and guano. Through detailed understanding on the property and usage of phosphorus ore resources, the genesis of sedimentary phosphorus ore and the distribution characteristics of phosphorus ore resources, it is possible to further transform and upgrade traditional industries such as phosphate fertilizer and pesticides, vigorously develop emerging industries such as new energy batteries, and build a high-end, intelligent and green phosphorus chemical industry system. Applying geological, geochemical and geophysical methods in exploring buried phosphate deposits can further improve the guarantee capability of phosphorus ore resource in China.