Core Viewpoint - The Chinese Academy of Sciences has made significant progress in the economic utilization of ultra-low-grade rubidium resources from the Chaka Salt Lake, successfully producing high-purity rubidium chloride from raw materials with rubidium content below 0.001% [1][3]. Group 1: Technological Advancements - The research team has developed a theoretical and technical innovation for extracting rubidium from salt lakes, addressing the shortage of strategic key metal rubidium in China [3]. - A thermodynamic model was constructed to clarify the migration and enrichment patterns of rubidium during potassium salt production, identifying key factors that hinder rubidium enrichment [3]. - An integrated process route was developed, which includes "mining washing, rubidium leaching, evaporation enrichment, solvent extraction, and crystallization purification," demonstrating successful kilogram-scale experiments and ton-scale engineering validation [3][4]. Group 2: Economic Implications - The new extraction process may reduce reliance on imports, as it has the potential to lower costs significantly; a previous study indicated that the cost of extracting rubidium chloride was only one-third of its market price [3][4]. - In 2021, China imported 19,500 tons of rubidium concentrate, with an external procurement rate of 66.3%, primarily from Canada and Zimbabwe, highlighting the current dependency on foreign sources [6]. Group 3: Strategic Importance of Rubidium - Rubidium is a strategically significant metal with wide applications in electronics, aerospace, and military sectors, including enhancing solar cell performance and applications in cancer treatment [4]. - Despite being the largest holder of rubidium reserves, 97% of China's rubidium is found in low-grade hard rock deposits, making extraction challenging [4][6].