Driven by the "dual carbon" strategy, Juungar Banner is developing a circular industrial chain that utilizes resources effectively. Exemplifying the green transformation of the resource-based region, coal gangue, once regarded as "industrial waste", is now transformed through high-temperature calcination into a high-end material.
At the production workshop of Inner Mongolia Yidong Dongyan Technology Co (Yidong Dongyan), the gray coal gangue gradually becomes mullite, a pure white, high-grade refractory material, after processes like crushing, molding, and high-temperature firing.
The long-abandoned 100-meter kiln has been revitalized, marking a significant green transformation. [Photo by Wang Liman/Juungar Banner Publishing]
Through collaborative research and development between industry, academia, and research institutions, Yidong Dongyan developed the core technology for producing mullite from coal gangue.
The project innovatively uses industrial waste gases produced by chemical enterprises within the park as a substitute for traditional fuels, consuming 500 cubic meters of industrial waste gas per hour, reducing energy consumption costs by 65 percent per metric ton of product. It also achieves zero landfill status for solid waste, while generating significant economic benefits.
"In the past, disposing of coal gangue cost hundreds of yuan per ton; now, it generates more than 2,000 yuan ($277) in value," said Yang Liye, assistant to the chairman of Yidong Dongyan, who calculated the ecological and economic benefits. The annual production of 10,000 tons of mullite can consume 13,000 tons of solid waste, reducing landfill by 50,000 square meters.
Through high-temperature calcination, industrial waste coal gangue is transformed into a high-end refractory material, valued at 2,800 yuan per ton. [Photo by Wang Liman/Juungar Banner Publishing]
As the first comprehensive utilization demonstration base for coal-based solid waste in China, the Juungar Economic Development Zone has established a complete chain from solid waste disposal to high-end material manufacturing. A total of 24 new material projects have been established, with 12 types of high-value-added products, such as mullite and filler balls, being sold nationwide.
From black slag to green materials, Juungar Banner's transformation proves that with the empowerment of technological innovation, every "industrial scar" can become a "medal of ecological civilization".
