Mr. Wang Kai, Director of Development and Reform Bureau, Shizhong District, Zaozhuang, Shangdong Province visitedHubei University Tianshu Industrial Research & Design Institute of New Energy Materials to inspect the lithium salt project on the afternoon of September 2, 2018. The leaders accompanying Mr. Wang Kai were Mr. Lu Andong, Secretary of the Party Committee of Shuiguo Town, Shizhong District, Mr. Feng Junyi, General Manager ofZaozhuang Quantou Group, and Mr. Li Yong, Vice General Manager Zaozhuang Quantou Group accompanied the visit. Mr. Wu Caiqing, Director of Department of Science and Technology, Hubei University, Professor Tian Jian, Ph. D. Supervisor of School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, as well as the Dean of Hubei University Tianshu Industrial Research & Design Institute of New Energy Materials, and other members of the research and development team of Lithium Battery positivematerials, negative materials, electrolytes, such as Professor Shang Zhong, Associate Professor Mei Tao, Dr. Zhu Yanchao and Dr. Wang Yang warmly welcomed Director Wang Kai and his entourages in Siqi Hall, Hubei University.

Firstly,Director Wu Caiqing briefly introduced the history of Hubei University, colleges establishment, advanced disciplines, teachers team, the construction of key laboratories at the national and provincial level, the strength of scientific research, the industrialization transformation of scientific and technological achievements, etc. Director Wu affirmed that Professor Tian Jian’s team has made a series of major breakthroughs in the fields of cement building materials, iron and steel, metallurgy, solid waste treatment, new energy materials, and the whole industrial chain of lithium batteries, high active calcium oxide / nano-calcium carbonate, highly active magnesium oxide / magnesium hydroxide, highly active metakaolin and bentonite. Professor Tian has vigorously promoted the industrialization transformation of scientific and technological achievements of various new technologies, new technologies and new equipment. Dozens of industrial demonstration production lines have been built in Shandong, Henan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Liaoning, Gansu and other provinces and cities, creating a new era and a new industrial chain model, promoting the development of local new economic structure, and achieving good ecological, economic and social benefits. Director Wu hopeed that as theHubei Provincial Research and Development Center of Lithium Preparation Technology,Hubei University Tianshu IRDI would work with Quantou Group on the lithium salt project.

Director Wang Kai introduced the basic status of social and economic development in Zaozhuang. He pointed out that Zaozhuang is a coal city and also a national resource-exhausted city. For Zaozhuang, speeding up the conversion of new and old kinetic energy is not only an urgent task, but also a long-term strategy. To grasp the transformation of new and old kinetic energy so that we would grasp the development of transformation. As a resource-exhausted city, the difficulty of transformation and upgrading lies in the choice of strategic industries and the pressure to restore the mining environment. We should choose the high-end green industries and also consider labor-intensive industries that can fully absorb employment. Director Wang Kai thanked Hubei University and professors Tian Jian’ team. He said that this time at Hubei University, as a resource-exhausted city, they had found a new industrial chain and a new direction of economic structure development in the future for Zaozhuang. New energy vehicle is a new industry supported by the country and its core is new energy battery materials. Zaozhuang has the National Lithium Battery Testing Center and many lithium battery manufacturing enterprises. The municipal party committee, municipal government and Shizhong District would give full support to enterprises in the region to vigorously develop new energy lithium battery materials projects, which would provide a series of industry supporting and preferential policies. Director Wang Kai hoped that Hubei University Tianshu IRDI can provide scientific and technological support for the Lithium Salt Project of Quantou Group and promote the development of Quantou Group from building materials industry to new energy and new materials industry.

Mr. Lu Andong,Secretaryof the Party Committee of Shuiguo Town, Shizhong District,Zaozhuang , introduced that there are rich mineral resources inShuiguo Town, such as limestone, iron ore, quartz stone, bauxite and laterite, etc.ShuiguoTown relies in the east of Beijing-Shanghai Railway and Beijing-FuzhouExpressway, in the north of Zaozhuang-Linyi Expressway, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and Xuzhou Guanyin Airport, in the west of Linyi Airport. Shuiguo Town has Anya Road, Anshi Road, National Road 206, etc, which has geographical advantages.The township government has the firm determination to eliminate the backward production capacity, to transform the traditional industry and to support the development of the new industry. Secretary Lu hoped that with the help ofHubei Universityscientific research strength, Shuiguo Town would be the production and research base of Hubei University.

Professor Tian Jian briefly introduced the basic situation ofHubei University Tianshu IRDI and the scientific research team. In 2017, Tianshu IRDI was recognized by Hubei Provincial Science and Technology Department as “Hubei Provincial Research and Development Center of Lithium Preparation Technology”, with double B qualification in building materials industry, chemical industry and installation qualification. We have successively cooperated with Hubei Baijierui advanced Materials Corp. and other companies to build new lithium salt project and technical transformation. Professor Tian Jian expounded the advanced technical specifications and advantages of the preparation technology of lithium salt materials. At the same time, He also briefly introduced the successful application of 20,000 tons of lithium hydroxide project in Xingye County of our institute. We successfully declared the “Preparation of Nanometer Calcium Carbonate by Oxygen-enriched Method” cooperated with Hubei University, Yulin Normal University, Guangxi University, and Shuangcheng Calcium Corp.

Mr. Feng Junyi, General Manager of Quantou Group, said that they have formed a good cooperative relationship with Hubei UniversityTianshu IRDI in green ecological industrial solid waste and cement common integration grinding production line project for a long time. Hubei University Tianshu IRDI has advanced innovative thinking, advanced technology and considerate service. Since the above project was put into operation, Quantou Group has achieved good economic benefits. This time, Quantou Group, in response to the relevant industrial policy guidelines of the country and Zaozhuang, they decided to build a new lithium salt project, hoping to work hand in hand withHubei University Tianshu IRDI to build a new industrial chain for Quantou Group and even Zaozhuang City. And make new contributions to the industrial transformation and upgrading.

On September 3rd, Professor Tian Jian accompanied Director Wang Kai and his entourage to visit the project site in Jinmen of Hubei Baijierui Advanced Materials Corp. Mr. Liu Xin, Project Leader of the Baijierui Jingmen Project introduced the construction of the project is divided into three phases. The first phase of the project began in May 2017. The second phase “11000 tons/year of battery grade lithium carbonate and battery grade lithium hydroxide project” was designed byHubei University Tianshu IRDI. The key technology and equipment of spodumene preheating energy storage conversion are independently developed and manufactured by Hubei University Tianshu IRDI. The second phase of the project will begin soon. Baijierui is leading in high-purity lithium fluoride and high-purity lithium carbonate products in China and strive to build Jingmen as the largest lithium salt production base in China.

After the meeting, Director Wang Kai and his entourage visited the project site and completed workshop. The two sides had in-depth exchanges on raw materials, production processes and finished products.