The Keketuohai No. 3 Mine is located in Fuyun County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The rare metals used in the atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and artificial satellites originally manufactured in China mainly came from here, so it is known as the "hero mine" and "merit mine". Today, the Keketuohai No. 3 mine has become a part of the Keketuohai Global Geopark and is effectively protected. Let's follow the author's footsteps and take a look at the No. 3 Mine in Keketuohai!
One of the variants of beryl: emerald, the specimen comes from Yunnan
There are strategic resources hidden in beryl
Have you heard of aquamarine, emerald or emerald? They all originate from beryl in mineralogy, which is a general term for aluminosilicate minerals containing beryllium and having a hexagonal columnar shape. If beryl is mixed with ferrous iron during the growth process, it will be light blue, called aquamarine; if mixed with chromium, it will be dark green, called emerald; it can also be mixed with other elements to show more colors. These varieties of beryl are collectively referred to as emeralds.
Speaking of beryl, it is inevitable to mention the Keketuohai No. 3 Pit in Xinjiang (hereinafter referred to as the "No. 3 Pit"), because it is the earliest and most abundant primary mine producing beryl in China.
Tantalum-niobium ore found in the Cocoto Sea
Spodumene found in the Coco-Too Sea
Located near the source of the Irtysh River, the Keketuo Sea is a pasture with lush water and grass. In the 1930s, herdsmen discovered many beryl near the Keketuo Sea, which were ground and used as beautiful ornaments. What the herdsmen did not expect is that the beautiful beryl contains beryllium, an extremely rare metal element on earth, which is an important strategic resource.
History of the discovery of Pit 3
The Irtysh River originating in the Altai Mountains is the only river in China that flows to the Arctic Ocean. It starts from Fuyun County, all the way west, into the Zhaisang Lake in Kazakhstan, and then north into Russia, and finally into the Arctic Ocean.
In the 1930s, Soviet geologists discovered a very small amount of elements such as beryllium and lithium in the river alluvium of the Irtysh River, so they traced it upstream, and finally in 1935, thousands of miles away in the Keketuo Sea. They found their coveted primary veins of beryl, spodumene and tantalum-niobium ore and numbered them one by one, with the third numbered vein called vein number three. At that time, it existed in a hill of several hundred meters. As mining progressed, the top of the hill became a pit, and the originally high No. 3 vein became a No. 3 mine with a depth of more than 140 meters.
In 1947, the Soviet Union began to mine the Keketuohai No. 3 lode, and 37 tons of beryl were mined that year. At that time, beryl was not mined to be processed into gemstones, but to extract the beryllium element in it, which was used in the aerospace industry and in the production of weapons.
Treasure in Pit 3
In 1955, China took over all exploration and mining activities in the Kokoto Sea area. After years of exploration, researchers discovered more than 20 kinds of rare metal minerals in the Keketuohai No. 3 mine. Among them, the most important ore minerals are beryl, spodumene, niobium-tantalum, etc., which are used to extract rare metals such as beryllium, lithium, niobium and tantalum.
Lithium in spodumene and beryllium in beryl are the two lightest metal elements in nature. It is very rare and difficult to extract, so it is called a rare metal.
Beryllium in beryl can be used to make key components of aircraft engines and precision instruments. Aircraft parts made of beryllium alloys are much lighter than ordinary materials, but stronger than steel!
Lithium was initially mainly used to make aircraft engines and to produce atomic and hydrogen bombs. Today, the most widespread use of lithium is in the production of lithium batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones.
Niobium and tantalum are like a pair of good brothers. They always appear at the same time in nature, so they are often used together to produce alloys with high melting points, good ductility and high strength. Adding a very small amount of niobium to ordinary steel can not only improve the strength, but also improve the toughness and oxidation resistance; the alloy of tantalum can resist the high temperature of 3800 degrees Celsius, so tantalum and niobium are widely used in the production of rockets, satellites and other aerospace equipment.
In the 1950s and 1960s, under extremely difficult conditions, workers mined a large amount of rare metal minerals in Pit No. 3, creating rich material wealth for the country, and at the same time forming a "hard-working, hard-working, selfless dedication, Glory to the country" is the spirit of Coco Tuohai. Today, it has been "transformed" into a scenic spot, and its unique geographical environment has attracted many tourists, allowing more people to understand and remember its immortal feats!
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