en.Wedoany.com Reported - Baotou Ande Xinai New Materials Co., Ltd. in Inner Mongolia, China, utilizes a unique tunnel kiln process in the mass production of rare earth refractory materials, significantly enhancing the particle strength and wear resistance of lanthanum cerium oxide products. This 86.8-meter-long high-temperature tunnel kiln operates at 1100°C, with products undergoing over 10 hours of firing before completion.
Li Weidong, Deputy General Manager of the company, stated that compared to the traditional rotary kiln process, the tunnel kiln process results in more fully developed crystal growth, greatly improving particle strength and wear resistance. The products are used in fields such as rare earth additives and coatings. In 2025, the company's products achieved an energy saving rate of over 10%, saving downstream users tens of thousands of tons of standard coal. Driven by market demand, the company plans to further expand production capacity this year, with an overall increase of 30% expected.
In Baotou Rare Earth High-Tech Zone, Tianhe Magnetics Technology Center has over 150 R&D personnel tackling core technologies such as grain refinement and grain boundary diffusion. According to the company's leadership, its products support clean energy sectors including wind power, new energy vehicles, and industrial robots. The company holds 110 authorized patents, including 49 international patents, with cumulative R&D investment exceeding 300 million yuan over the past three years. It has been recognized as a "National Enterprise Technology Center" and has taken a stake in the National Rare Earth Functional Materials Innovation Center, initiated by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which is the only national-level innovation platform in the field of rare earth functional materials.
Baotou Rare Earth High-Tech Zone has gathered 177 rare earth enterprises, with 10 of the top 15 companies in China's magnetic materials industry located here, forming a complete industrial chain from rare earth smelting and separation to high-end applications. Its production capacities in magnetic materials, polishing, hydrogen storage, and catalytic additives all rank first in the country. The zone boasts 207 innovation platforms of various types, centered around "one institute, one national key laboratory, one manufacturing innovation center, one technology innovation center, and one laboratory," with national-level scientific research platforms in the rare earth field accounting for over 50% of the national total. The zone is home to 161 high-tech enterprises and 409 technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises. In 2025, the R&D investment intensity in Baotou Rare Earth High-Tech Zone reached 3.6%.
Baotou Rare Earth High-Tech Zone supports enterprise innovation through full-chain precise services. By cultivating 4 Baotou gazelle enterprises (accounting for 40% of Baotou's total), promoting 3 enterprises to become Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region technology benchmark enterprises, and recognizing 10 enterprises as Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region outstanding scientific and technological innovation enterprises, the zone has built a comprehensive innovation matrix through gradient cultivation measures.
