**Preface**

When the news broke that our country had discovered a "priceless treasure," Western countries and Japan were all eyeing it covetously, after all, the rapid development of our China is what they least want to see.

Unexpectedly, the treasure our country discovered this time is valued at nearly ten billion per ton, which is undoubtedly a generous gift from nature to the land of Huaxia and a brilliant milestone in our country's journey of technological development and resource exploration.

At this moment, our neighboring country Japan also sighed: "Why is it always China? Why are all the good things China's?"

What exactly did our country discover, and why does Japan care so much?

**The "Priceless Treasure" Appears**

The element "Rubidium" is the darling of the current scientific community, and our China has discovered a large amount of Rubidium mineral resources. As soon as this news came out, it immediately attracted global attention.

The reason why Rubidium ore is so precious is that the valuation of each ton of Rubidium ore is as high as 4.6 billion yuan, a figure that is enough to make people's eyes pop out of their heads, which is thousands of times higher than the price of gold!

Looking back at history, our country, as a great country with a long civilization, has always had an outstanding performance in resource utilization and technological innovation.From the ancient Four Great Inventions to today's high-speed rail and 5G technology, the Chinese nation has always shone on the world stage with wisdom and diligence. The recent discovery of rubidium ore once again highlights our country's unremitting efforts and outstanding capabilities in resource exploration. Although rubidium is a niche element, its range of applications is surprisingly broad, from electronic products we use daily to cutting-edge aerospace technology, rubidium plays an indispensable role. It is like the "flavor enhancer" of the technology world; although the amount used is not much, without it, many high-tech products cannot function properly. China's discovery this time undoubtedly takes the lead in the global technology competition. It is important to know that China now has 58% of the world's proven rubidium ore reserves, which means we hold an ace card in the race for future technological development. Japan's reaction to this news is also understandable; as a country highly dependent on high-tech industries, Japan naturally hopes to control more rare resources. With China's continuous breakthroughs in rare earths, lithium mines, and now rubidium ore, it's no wonder they feel somewhat frustrated. However, possessing resources is only the first step; how to develop and utilize these resources reasonably is the real challenge. Although China's rubidium ore resources are abundant, most of them are low-grade ore deposits, and the development difficulty is not small, which requires us to put more effort into technological innovation.The discovery of rubidium ore is not just a piece of scientific and technological news; it represents a significant opportunity for national development. It has the potential to alter the landscape of the global high-tech industry and influence the direction of future technological advancements.

However, we must also recognize with clarity that the development of resources must follow a path of sustainable development.

**The Key to Future Technology**

Rubidium is a soft, silver-white metal that is highly reactive with oxygen in the air. Its melting point is extremely low, at only 39.3°C, which means it could be in a liquid state at room temperature. These seemingly ordinary characteristics make rubidium highly versatile in many fields.

In the defense and aerospace sectors, rubidium plays a role that is "small in size but large in impact."

Rubidium atomic clocks are among the most accurate timekeeping devices currently available, with an error margin that might only be one second in millions of years. This ultra-high precision in timekeeping is crucial for GPS positioning systems.

Imagine that without rubidium atomic clocks, our mobile phone navigation might not be as accurate.

Moreover, rubidium has a wide range of applications in the energy and industrial sectors. Rubidium-ion batteries are considered strong contenders for the next generation of high-performance batteries, with fast charging speeds and large capacities, potentially significantly enhancing the battery life of our mobile phones.

In addition to this, rubidium is used in the manufacture of special optical glass, which can be employed in high-end cameras and telescopes, allowing us to see further and more clearly.

But perhaps the most exciting application of rubidium is in photovoltaic thin-film batteries. Traditional silicon-based solar cells are nearing their efficiency limits, and thin-film batteries with added rubidium are expected to break through this bottleneck.This means more efficient and cheaper solar power generation. In today's world where everyone is seeking clean energy, this is undoubtedly a significant breakthrough.

In the medical field, rubidium compounds are used to treat depression and epilepsy; in industrial production, it can be used to manufacture special catalysts; even in the manufacture of fireworks, rubidium can be put to good use, as it can create beautiful purple flames.

It can be said that rubidium is like a "jack of all trades" in the world of technology, and its presence can be found in almost every high-tech field.

No wonder its value is so high, and the price of nearly ten billion per ton seems less surprising.

【Abundant reserves, challenges coexist】

According to the latest geological survey data, China's identified rubidium ore reserves account for 58% of the global total, a number that is truly eye-catching.

Simply put, for every 10 tons of rubidium ore in the world, nearly 6 tons are found on Chinese soil.

The discovery of such a large reserve is actually due to the hard work of China's geologists over the years. They have traversed mountains and rivers and delved into various complex terrains, finally discovering a large number of rubidium ore deposits in places like Jiangxi, Sichuan, and Hunan.

These discoveries have provided important resource guarantees for the development of China's high-tech field.

However, things are not as simple as they seem, because although our rubidium ore reserves are abundant, most of them are low-grade ore deposits.If we liken ore to a cake, then high-grade ore is like a cake with a thick layer of cream, while low-grade ore is like a cake with a thin layer of cream. Extracting rubidium from low-grade ore is akin to licking enough cream from a cake with a very thin layer, and the difficulty is self-evident.

This poses a significant challenge for our researchers and engineers: how to efficiently and cost-effectively extract rubidium from these low-grade ores has become an urgent technical problem that needs to be solved. Fortunately, our country's researchers have not been intimidated by the difficulties. They have begun to study new extraction technologies, such as ion adsorption methods and solvent extraction methods, in the hope of improving the efficiency of rubidium extraction.

In addition to technical challenges, environmental issues are also something we must face. If not handled properly, the mining and extraction processes of rubidium ores could potentially impact the environment. Therefore, finding a balance between resource development and environmental protection is a question we must seriously consider.

An interesting phenomenon is that our country's rubidium resources often coexist with other rare metals. For example, some lithium ores contain rubidium elements. This is similar to digging for treasure and not only finding the main treasure but also unexpectedly discovering other precious accessories. This coexistence provides opportunities for us to comprehensively develop and utilize mineral resources, but it also increases the difficulty of mining and separation.

【How important is rubidium ore to Japan?】Rubidium has shown tremendous potential in the field of optoelectronic materials. Known as the "metal with long eyes," rubidium is widely used in photovoltaic thin-film batteries due to its excellent optoelectronic properties. It can significantly improve the efficiency of photoelectric conversion, reduce the cost of electricity generation, and enhance the stability and flexibility of the batteries.

In addition, rubidium and its compounds are also used as catalysts in chemical industrial production processes, particularly in Japan, where the catalyst field has become one of the important application areas for rubidium.

Although the content of rubidium in the Earth's crust is not high, its unique chemical reactivity and easy ionization characteristics make it indispensable in many chemical reactions.

Despite China's rich rubidium ore resources, they are mainly low-grade and difficult to process granitic rubidium deposits.

Therefore, the development and utilization of these resources are of great significance to the country's development, especially in the context of increasingly complex international situations, where the importance of rare resources is more highlighted.

The supply of rubidium resources has a significant impact on the stability of the Japanese economy. Every fluctuation in international relations may impact Japan's rubidium resource supply chain, thereby affecting the normal operation of its high-tech industries.

Japan has ensured a sustainable and stable supply of mineral raw materials through the implementation of a global energy resource strategy. This strategy has placed Japan in a favorable position in the global energy resource allocation, making it one of the world's strong mineral resource countries.

According to evidence, Japan is the fastest-growing country or region in the world in terms of rubidium production and application development in the past 20 years. In July 2009, Japan introduced the "Rare Metal Supply Strategy," which designated rubidium as a strategic mineral.

The Japanese government has also adopted a series of policies to enhance the resilience of the supply chain, particularly in terms of ensuring the security of scarce mineral resources, the development of alternative materials, and the development and secrecy of core technologies through strategic intervention.

This means that the government not only focuses on the autonomy of enterprises but also ensures the secure supply of key mineral resources through national-level policy support.In addition to this, Japanese companies are also very rigorous and standardized in their management models, emphasizing cost management and the efficient use of resources.

Due to the extreme scarcity of resources in Japan, companies must strictly implement corporate systems and follow procedures to avoid waste.

【Conclusion】

The discovery and development of rubidium resources undoubtedly provide new opportunities for the development of our country's science and technology and economic takeoff.

We must recognize the tremendous value brought by the element rubidium, as well as the difficulties that may be encountered in the development process.

Only by adhering to innovation-driven development, focusing on environmental protection, and balancing social responsibility can we truly maximize the value of this "priceless treasure" and inject new momentum into China's scientific and technological progress and economic development.

Let us look forward to the near future when high-tech products made in China will make more use of this magical element and shine brightly on the world stage!