A piece of germanium Photo: VCG

According to a Science and Technology Daily's Sunday report, China has discovered and named a new mineral, Wusihe germanium ore, with an average germanium oxide content of up to 72 percent, second only to germanite.
 
The mineral was jointly discovered, named, and submitted for approval by multiple Chinese research teams, and has officially been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA).

As a scarce strategic critical metal, germanium is an indispensable material in high-tech fields including modern semiconductors, fiber-optic communications, infrared optics, solar cells, and aerospace measurement and control systems. 

Due to its low abundance in the Earth's crust and difficulty in forming independent deposits, germanium has long been mainly produced as an associated element from lead-zinc ores and coal deposits, according to the report.

The mineral also marks the third germanium-rich mineral discovered in the mining area, the report said.

According to data released by China's Ministry of Natural Resources on April 29, China ranks first globally in reserves of 14 minerals, including germanium.

Global Times