In China there are no such mines or districts that have platinum group metals as the main objectives in exploitation. These metals are mainly produced with exploitation of by-product (associated) deposits, and comprehensive utilization and redevelopment of secondary resources. Up to date, there have been 8 explored ore districts of platinum group metals in China in addition to 2 ore districts to be exploited and 25 ore districts that are difficult to develop temporarily.

The 8 explored ore districts have retained reserves of 174,865 kg, amounting to 56.8% of the total reserves of platinum group metals. The platinum group melts are all by-product ones. The representatives are I-, II - and I-II -mining areas in the Jinchuan Cu-Ni Mine, whose retained reserves of by-product platinum group metals are 164,255 kg (99,450 kg for Pt and 50,602 kg for Pd). The 2 districts to be exploited are III- and IV-mining areas of this mine with reserves of 12,209 kg, which are considered as potential reserves of the Jinchuan Mine. There are 25 ore districts that cannot be developed presently, whose reserves of platinum group metals are 120,847 kg, making up 39.2 of the China's total. They are not ready to be mined because of their low grade or too small reserves.

In China, there are limited resources of platinum group metals and, moreover, the output is rather low, making up a very small portion in the world. The mining of platinum group metals commenced in 1958 and has been increased markedly since 1967 when the nickel electrolytic workshop was built in the Jinchuan Mine.

There are dozens of useful platinum group minerals in the Jinchuan area. Platinum group and platinum-bearing minerals include sperrylite and intermetallic compounds of native platinum (platinum-gold, platinum-gold-palladium). Palladium and palladium-bearing minerals include porpezite, froodite, merenskyite and palladium-bearing bismuth. The sperrylite and intermetallic compounds make up more than 90% of platinum group minerals. The gain size of the sperrylite is 0.042~1 mm (commonly 0.1~0.3 mm). Occurring as a mineral, platinum amounts to 92%~99% in rich Cu-Ni ore and 83%~94% in lean ore. Palladium occurs also as a mineral in general. Rh, Ir, Os and Ru occur mainly in pyrrhotite, pentlandite, violarite and chalcopyrite.     

During the eighth Five-Year Plan period (1991~1995), the following ore districts were put into production: the Dahongshan Fe-Cu Mine in Xinping and Baimazhai Cu-Ni Mine in Jinping, Yunnan Province, the Yushigou Chromite Mine in Qilian, Qinghai Province, and the Karatongk Cu-Ni Mine in Fuyun, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The retained reserves of platinum group metals of these mines are 4,307 kg and the annual recovered platinum group metals are at most 15~20 kg. Owing to small reserves and low grade, the prospects of these mines are not very optimistic.     

The exploited Zhubu Pt-Pd deposit in Yunnan has found comprehensive utilization. It is not only for mining Pt-Pd-bearing ores, but also for producing Ca-Mg-P fertilizers and slag cement, and recovering platinum group metals from slag. The reserves are 6,333 kg.      The third approach to producing platinum group metals in China is secondary development, namely secondary recovery and utilization of resources. Platinum group metals are used in numerous sectors and fields and the products of these metals have fairly short service life, so large amounts of wastes are produced every year. This shows that comprehensive utilization of platinum group metals has great potentialities. According to incomplete statistics, the recycled platinum group metals in 1990 were up to 2,500 kg and 3,500~4,000 kg at present. The major departments for the recovery of platinum group metals and the recovery volumes are listed in Table 3.17.2.

Table 3.17.2 Secondary recovery of platinum group metals in China