Zunyi Banner: “Solid Waste” Makes a Comeback, Unlocking the Secret to Green Development
In as waste, out as gold! Who would have thought? Coal gangue and fly ash—once piled high and regarded as “dead weight”—have now undergone a remarkable transformation in the Junggar Economic Development Zone, becoming “industrial gold” whose value has skyrocketed.
Bolstered by technological innovation, these former “industrial wastes” have made a spectacular comeback. Not only have they solved the ecological challenges posed by solid waste stockpiling, but they have also become a new engine for green development, continuously unleashing the surging momentum of Junggar Banner’s new green productive forces.
As spring ushers in a new chapter, good news keeps pouring in. Recently, the first batch of mullite products for 2026 from the Zhungeer Banner R&D Branch of Inner Mongolia Yidong Dongyan Technology Co., Ltd. was successfully shipped. Freight trucks loaded with 35 tons of lump mullite and 35 tons of powdered mullite slowly left the factory grounds, heading to customers in Jiangsu, firing the “first shot” for the company’s market expansion in the new year.
Zunyi Banner’s coal gangue-derived high-end refractory material, mullite, is selling well across the national market.
The mullite shipped this time is a high-performance inorganic non-metallic material with excellent properties such as high-temperature resistance, thermal shock resistance, and corrosion resistance. It is widely used in downstream sectors such as ceramics, refractory materials, and electronic components, and serves as a key material for upgrading high-temperature industrial technology.Remarkably, the primary raw material for this high-end product is coal gangue—a substance long regarded as “industrial waste.”
“Over 90% of the raw materials in our products come from coal gangue,” explained Gao Hailong, head of the mullite production line at Inner Mongolia Yidong Dongyan Technology Co., Ltd. Mullite is primarily used in crucibles, mullite refractory materials, and mullite bricks. Thanks to its excellent resistance to high temperatures, corrosion, and acids and alkalis, it has a wide range of applications. “Currently, our products are mainly sold to Shanxi, Hebei, Hubei, Fujian, and other regions, where they have gained high market recognition.”
Coal gangue is a byproduct of coal mining that was long left in random piles, occupying land and posing ecological risks. However, in the eyes of the company, this seemingly useless solid waste is actually a high-quality raw material for producing premium refractory materials. Through persistent research and technological innovation, Inner Mongolia Yidong Dongyan Technology Co., Ltd. has successfully transformed coal gangue into mullite, turning “waste” into a true “treasure.”
“Currently, our mullite production line has a designed annual capacity of 10,000 tons, consuming approximately 13,000 tons of coal gangue per year, while also processing 500 cubic meters of chemical waste gas per hour,” said Yang Liyue, Assistant to the Chairman of Inner Mongolia Yidong Dongyan Technology Co., Ltd. He noted that what was once discarded coal gangue has now been transformed into high-quality mullite products valued at 2,800 yuan per ton, achieving a win-win outcome for both ecological and economic benefits. “Moving forward, the company will continue to deepen its focus on niche markets, optimize product structures, enhance product quality, and accelerate market expansion to support the high-quality development of the regional non-metallic mineral products industry.”
In the Zhungeer Economic Development Zone, the “comeback” of coal gangue is far from an isolated case. In the production workshop of Inner Mongolia Yuhua New Materials Technology Co., Ltd., flames blaze within large kilns as coal gangue is melted and refined at high temperatures, similarly transforming into the high-grade refractory material mullite. By focusing on the high-quality coal gangue resources within Zhungeer Banner and persistently overcoming challenges, the company has developed and produced the high-end mullite product “M45 Mullite Cart,” with sales covering South China, North China, and Central China.
Inner Mongolia Yuhua New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. has innovatively developed “M45 Molycat,” transforming solid waste coal gangue into “real gold and silver.”
“The raw materials for our project primarily come from coal gangue generated by coal mines in Zhungeer Banner. Our annual production of 1 million tons of standardized kaolin raw material can absorb 1 million tons of coal gangue,” explained Zhao Shengrong, General Manager of Inner Mongolia Yuhua New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. The company currently consumes approximately 20,000 tons of coal gangue annually, accounting for over 90% of the product’s composite formulation. “Based on a price of 200 yuan per ton for coal gangue, our finished products sell for over 2,000 yuan per ton, representing a significant increase in added value,” Zhao Shengrong noted.
He explained that M45 Molycat represents an upgrade over traditional materials, offering the distinct advantages of “two zeros and one elimination”—zero cubic quartz phase, zero high-temperature emulsion, and no color reversal during secondary calcination—making it highly competitive in the market. “Last year, the company’s revenue reached 25 million yuan, and we expect to exceed 30 million yuan this year. We are currently developing new products with low bulk density and high strength, which are in the experimental stage. In the future, we will further expand into high-end application scenarios.”
The Junggar Economic Development Zone has successfully developed several distinctive products—including ceramic active powder materials, foamed ceramics, and alumina ceramic products—by leveraging the synergy between industry, academia, and research.
As the nation’s first demonstration base for the comprehensive utilization of coal-based solid waste, the Zhungeer Economic Development Zone has established a complete industrial chain spanning from solid waste disposal to high-end materials manufacturing. Currently, 24 new materials projects have taken root, and 12 categories of high-value-added products—including mullite and filler balls—are selling well nationwide. Leveraging “industry-academia-research” collaboration as a breakthrough, the Zhungeer Economic Development Zone established the Inner Mongolia Advanced Ceramics Design Institute and successfully developed a range of distinctive products, including ceramic active powder materials, foamed ceramics, and alumina ceramic products. As construction of multiple industrial projects accelerates, the region’s solid waste absorption capacity has risen year by year, providing solid support for advancing “zero-waste city” initiatives and promoting ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.
In recent years, Zhungeer Banner has resolutely pursued a path of ecological priority and green development. Leveraging support from national industrial policies, it has promoted the clustered development of industries focused on the comprehensive utilization of bulk industrial solid waste, such as coal gangue. This approach has not only resolved the ecological challenges posed by the stockpiling of solid waste but also cultivated new economic growth points, turning “turning waste into treasure” into a vivid example of transformation in resource-based regions and continuously writing new chapters in green development.
Source: Zhungeer Banner Release
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/bM93IWlpwomfQDC3nN9dnw