On May 16, at the 2025 SMM (6th) Silver Industry Chain Innovation Conference , hosted by SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. (SMM), co-organized by Ningbo Haoshun Precious Metals Co., Ltd. and Quanda New Materials (Ningbo) Co., Ltd., and supported by sponsors including Fujian Zijin Precious Metals Materials Co., Ltd., Huizhou Yian Precious Metals Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Jiangshan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou Jinquan Mining and Metallurgical Equipment Co., Ltd., Hunan Shengyin New Materials Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Weida Precious Metals Powder Materials Co., Ltd., Guangxi Zhongma Zhonglianjin Cross-border E-commerce Co., Ltd., Suzhou Xinghan New Materials Technology Co., Ltd., Yongxing Zhongsheng Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., IKOI S.p.A., Hunan Zhengming Environmental Protection Co., Ltd., Kunshan Hongfutai Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., and Shandong Humon Smelting Co., Ltd., Wu Chao, the Executive Director/Director of the Silver Compounds and Materials Preparation Laboratory at the Nanyang Silver New Materials Engineering Technology Research Center/Tongbai Hongxin New Materials Co., Ltd., shared insights on the theme of "Current Status and Development Trends of China's Silver Nitrate Industry Technology Market." 1. Overview of the Silver Nitrate Industry Basic Properties of Silver Nitrate ► Characteristics and Functions of Silver Nitrate Appearance: Silver nitrate appears as colorless, transparent orthorhombic crystals or white crystals, with unique physical characteristics. Strong Oxidizing Properties: Silver nitrate is a strong oxidizing agent, exhibiting significant oxidizing capabilities in chemical reactions. Solubility: Silver nitrate is highly soluble in water and alkalis, slightly soluble in C₂H₅OC₂H₅. Its solubility characteristics influence its range of applications. Major Application Areas of Silver Nitrate PV Applications: The importance of silver powder in PV silver paste is undeniable, with over 95% of the world's PV silver powder produced using the liquid-phase reduction method with silver nitrate as the raw material. Electronics Applications: Used in various components and electrical contact materials in the microelectronics industry, as well as a common reagent in analytical chemistry. Catalysts: In domestic petrochemical enterprises, thousands of tons of silver catalysts are used annually. Pharmaceutical Industry: Used as anti-inflammatory and corrosive agents, such as burn ointments and medical disinfectant gauzes. Environmental Protection and Resource Recovery: Removes chloride ions from wastewater (forming silver chloride precipitate) or acts as a precipitant for heavy metal ions (such as sulphides); silver recovery technologies for silicon wafer cutting wastewater and electroplating wastewater in the PV industry (e.g., ion exchange, electrolysis). Chemical and Analytical Detection: Serves as a precursor for preparing other silver compounds (e.g., silver ammonium nitrate, silver oxide) and silver nanomaterials (e.g., silver nanoparticles, nanowires). Photographic Materials: Over 50% of the world's silver is used in manufacturing photographic materials. Silver salts, with silver nitrate as the base material, form the photosensitive layer in photographic materials. Mirror Manufacturing: Silver-coated glass has excellent reflectivity, with the best mirrors currently made using silver, with silver nitrate as the base material. 2. Current Status of the Technology Market Current Status of Production Processes Characteristics of Traditional Processes: Traditional silver nitrate production processes are relatively simple to operate and require less sophisticated equipment. However, they suffer from low production efficiency, high energy consumption, and limited product purity. For example, using simple dissolution and evaporation processes results in long production cycles and incomplete removal of impurities. Difficulties in Capacity Expansion: Capacity expansion is constrained by multiple factors, with aging equipment and outdated processes being the main reasons. Existing production lines are difficult to expand on a large scale, and intelligent upgrades are challenging. The high cost and long cycle of building new production lines make it difficult for most enterprises to meet the rapidly growing market demand. Directions for Process Improvement: Process improvement focuses on enhancing production efficiency and product quality while reducing energy consumption and environmental pollution. This can be achieved by introducing automated control systems to precisely control reaction conditions and developing new catalysts to optimize reaction pathways, thereby achieving green and efficient production. Current Status of Quality Control Quality Standard System: China has established a relatively comprehensive quality standard system for silver nitrate, specifying indicators such as purity and impurity content. For example, national standards set clear limits for silver content, chloride, sulfate, and other impurities in different grades of silver nitrate to ensure stable product quality. Detection Technologies: Various technologies are used to detect the quality of silver nitrate, including chemical analysis and spectroscopic analysis. Chemical analysis can accurately determine silver and impurity content, while spectroscopic analysis can quickly and sensitively detect trace impurities, providing a reliable basis for quality control. Quality Improvement Measures: Quality improvement measures include optimizing production processes, strengthening raw material quality control, and improving detection procedures. Strictly screening raw materials to reduce impurity introduction, strengthening monitoring during production to adjust process parameters in a timely manner, and increasing detection frequency and items to ensure products meet high standards. Current Status and Analysis of Patent Applications From 2023 to 2024, patent applications in the silver nitrate field exhibited characteristics of "preparation process dominance, accelerated environmental protection technology, and rising equipment innovation." Optimization of preparation processes and equipment dominated, while environmental protection technology became a competitive focus. Future technological breakthroughs may further concentrate on high-purity production, green synthesis, and new energy applications. Current Major Silver Nitrate Standards in China Chemical Reagent Silver Nitrate Standard: The chemical reagent silver nitrate standard GB/T 670-2007 specifies multiple indicators, including content, appearance, and pH value. For example, it has clear provisions for clarity, chloride, sulfate, and other impurities, providing detailed criteria for quality control of chemical reagent silver nitrate. Industrial Silver Nitrate Standard: The industrial silver nitrate standard GB/T 44758-2024 classifies quality into three grades: first, second, and third. In addition to common indicators such as content and appearance, it also specifies requirements for silver ammonia solution reactions and various impurities such as Cu and Fe to ensure industrial application quality. It will be officially implemented on May 1, 2025. Photographic Silver Nitrate Standard: The photographic silver nitrate standard YS/T 476-2002 is formulated based on the special needs of the photographic industry for silver nitrate. It has specific requirements for content and impurities to meet the strict quality standards of photographic silver nitrate for photographic materials. Market Competition Pressures Supply and Demand Analysis of China's Silver Nitrate Market: China's silver nitrate market entered an investment peak period starting in 2023, with the capacity of 16 key silver nitrate planning projects included in statistics reaching 52,200 mt from 2023 to 2025. Although the market demand for silver nitrate continues to grow, it lags far behind the pace of capacity expansion, leading to increasingly significant overcapacity issues and intensifying competition among enterprises. Significant price fluctuation risks for silver, with an amplitude of ±34% in the past three years. In particular, silver prices have remained high in recent years, leading to a sharp increase in costs and seriously affecting the stability of corporate profits. To avoid risks, enterprises have to be cautious in reinvesting and controlling costs, indirectly affecting R&D progress and delaying technological updates. 3. Development Trends Outlook Demand Analysis in Application Areas With the continuous implementation of new energy policies and the decline in the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for PV in countries worldwide, the global PV market continues to expand, and new PV installations continue to increase, driving up the demand for silver nitrate in the solar cell sector. In 2024, the proportion of silver nitrate used in global PV silver paste has already Accounting for 34% of the total production, China, as the world's largest producer of PV modules, contributed 62% of the procurement volume. This proportion is expected to rise from 34% to 45% by 2030. New Energy Penetration Increase: The technological penetration rate of new energy batteries is projected to increase from 12% in 2025 to 28% in 2030. The primary driving force behind this growth is the sharp increase in demand for materials in the battery industry, which will become a major driver for the growth in silver nitrate market demand. Electronics Industry Process Upgrade: In the electronics industry, the upgrade of silver-plating processes for communication devices in 5G base stations and the rapid growth of the AI industry have led to a surge in demand for high-purity silver nitrate. This drives the development of silver nitrate for electronic applications towards higher quality and more advanced technologies. Breakthroughs in Biomedicine: In the biomedical field, due to breakthroughs in antibacterial coating technology, the penetration rate of silver nitrate solutions in antibacterial coating-related products is expected to increase from 18% in 2024 to 35% in 2030. This will drive the average annual growth rate of the market size for pharmaceutical-grade silver nitrate to reach 12.2%. Market-Driven Technological Advancements 1. Green and Environmentally Friendly Technologies: Membrane separation technology is widely applied in silver nitrate production, with nanofiltration membranes removing macromolecular impurities and ion exchange membranes enabling silver ion recovery. New-type enterprises have adopted these technologies on a large scale, reducing silver ion emissions in wastewater from 0.05 mg/L to 0.01 mg/L and achieving a wastewater reuse rate of 85%. 2. Intelligent Production Technologies: Microreactor technology offers significant advantages, utilizing continuous flow reactions with precise temperature control (±1℃). This reduces reaction time from 6 hours to 45 minutes and increases the capacity utilisation rate to 85%. It also reduces energy consumption by 30%, limits impurity residues to ≤5 ppm, and achieves a silver recovery rate of 98.5%. 3. High-Performance Product Technologies: Continuous crystallization processes are becoming increasingly popular, employing multi-stage low-temperature vacuum crystallization (-10℃~5℃) to increase single-line capacity by 40%. This process enhances purity from 99.5% to 99.99% and reduces unit energy consumption and production costs. Industrial Policy Constraints and Opportunities Environmental Protection Policy Orientation: Environmental protection policy orientation encourages silver nitrate enterprises to adopt green production processes, reduce pollutant emissions, and improve resource utilization. For instance, in recent years, environmental protection authorities have mandated that enterprises meet heavy metal content standards in wastewater discharge, prompting enterprises to improve their production processes. Related investments in technological transformation have increased average costs for small enterprises by approximately 15%. Policy Support Opportunities Policy support opportunities provide a boost to the development of the silver nitrate industry. The government offers tax incentives, financial support, and other policies to environmentally friendly and high-tech enterprises, providing strong guarantees for the development of the silver nitrate industry. Safety Policy Requirements Safety policy requirements are becoming increasingly stringent, covering aspects such as product quality and production safety. Enterprises need to establish a comprehensive quality management system and a safe production system to ensure that products meet national standards. For example, the issue of dedicated vehicle transportation for silver nitrate products has increased production costs by 5-10%. Finally, it introduced the general situation of Tongbai Hongxin New Materials Co., Ltd., its work in standard formulation, market advantages, and the development of Hongxin New Materials' silver nitrate. 》Click to view the special report on the 2025 SMM (6th) Silver Industry Chain Innovation Conference

[Live Broadcast of Silver Conference: Economic Situation Analysis, Precious Metal Price Interpretation, Prospects for PV Applications, and Sharing of Cutting-Edge Technologies in the Industry] ► Basic Analysis of the Current Economic Situation ► Analysis of China's Copper, Lead, and Zinc Resource Security Capabilities ► Trend Analysis of Silver and Gold Prices ► Current Status and Prospects of Silver Applications in the PV Industry ► Exploring Cutting-Edge Solutions for Innovative PV Silver Recovery Technologies ► Exploring the Innovation-Driven Advancements in Cutting-Edge Technologies and Intelligent Equipment for Precious Metal Recovery and Refining ► Roundtable Discussion: Current Opportunities and Challenges for Silver ► Current Status and Development Trends of China's Silver Nitrate Industry Technology Market ► Global Demand and Trend Prospects for PV Silver Paste

In recent years, with the expansion and capacity increase of China's titanium dioxide (TiO₂) enterprises and the participation of enterprises from outside the industry, the capacity of TiO₂ has continued to rise. Homogeneous competition among enterprises has led to a sluggish market price, significantly lower than that of foreign products. How can the industry break free from the "cut-throat competition" and find a way out? China Nuclear Huayuan Titanium Dioxide Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "CNHT") has taken proactive measures and strategic planning, seizing new opportunities through five initiatives, including technological innovation and optimized resource allocation, to propel the company onto a healthy and sustainable development path. The first initiative is to strengthen technological innovation. According to Zhang Benfa, Chief Engineer of CNHT, the company places great emphasis on scientific and technological innovation. On the one hand, it continuously improves production processes, such as upgrading the sulphuric acid method's batch acidolysis process to continuous acidolysis and continuous crystallization technologies, enhancing production efficiency, reducing energy consumption and pollutant emissions, and improving product quality and stability. On the other hand, it focuses on developing new products, increasing R&D investment, benchmarking against Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha's TiO₂ products, and developing high-performance, multifunctional TiO₂ products to meet the needs of different application fields, such as TiO₂ with antibacterial and self-cleaning functions, thereby expanding product application scope and market share. The second initiative is to strengthen brand building. CNHT enhances product quality and stability by optimizing the titanium ore ratio and strengthening production process control. It provides high-quality pre-sales, in-sales, and after-sales services to establish a positive corporate image and brand reputation, increasing customer loyalty and satisfaction. The company has also enhanced the visibility and influence of its brand through advertising, participating in industry exhibitions, and organizing product promotion activities. The third initiative is to promote green development. CNHT continuously strengthens energy management, adopting advanced energy-saving technologies and equipment to reduce energy consumption during production. It enhances the treatment of pollutants such as waste gas, wastewater, and waste residues to achieve compliant emissions and reduce environmental impact. CNHT actively explores the comprehensive utilisation of titanium ore resources to improve resource utilization rates. For example, it conducts secondary ore beneficiation on acidolysis black slag and strengthens the recovery and utilization of by-products during production, such as recovering ferrous sulphate through freeze crystallization of waste acid, followed by waste acid concentration and reuse of sulphuric acid, thereby reducing production costs and achieving sustainable development. The fourth initiative is to optimize enterprise management. CNHT strictly controls costs, strengthens internal enterprise management, optimizes production processes, and reduces production costs. It lowers raw material procurement costs through concentrated procurement and establishing long-term cooperation with suppliers. CNHT attaches great importance to talent cultivation and recruitment, assembling a high-quality team for technological R&D, production management, and marketing, providing talent support for enterprise development. Fifth, expand market channels. China Nuclear Titanium White delves deep into the domestic market, gaining insights into customer needs and developing marketable products through enhanced survey and analysis of the domestic market. It expands sales channels, strengthens cooperation with downstream enterprises, and establishes long-term and stable cooperative relationships. In addition, China Nuclear Titanium White intensifies its efforts to explore the international market, actively responds to international trade barriers and disputes, and increases the export share of its products. It also strengthens cooperation with internationally renowned enterprises, learns advanced technologies and management experiences, and enhances the company's international competitiveness.

Against the backdrop of global economic recovery, the silver industry chain is ushering in new development opportunities. As one of the important precious metals, silver not only plays a role in value preservation and investment in the financial market, but is also widely used in various fields such as the electronics industry, healthcare, solar cells, and automotive manufacturing due to its excellent conductivity, thermal conductivity, and antibacterial properties. To further promote the sustainable development of the silver industry and strengthen communication and cooperation within the industry, the 2025SMM (6th) Silver Industry Chain Innovation Conference is scheduled to be held in May 2025. In recent years, with the global demand for renewable energy and high-tech products increasing, the industrial application demand for silver has significantly risen. At the same time, global economic uncertainties and changes in monetary policies have also prompted more investors to pay attention to silver's safe-haven attributes. As an important global commodity market, the attention to the silver industry chain in Asia, North America, and Europe has gradually increased, with local policies, technological innovations, and market demand changes having a profound impact on the entire industry chain. At this conference, Kunshan Hongfutai Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. will make a grand appearance, focusing on the mining, processing, trade, investment, and application of silver with upstream and downstream peers, comprehensively discussing the challenges faced by the industry and future development opportunities. Click the registration form to sign up immediately, join us in Ningbo to shape the silver future, gain insights into market trends, and collaborate on chain innovation. Kunshan Hongfutai Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. was established in 1999. Located in the High-tech Industrial Park of Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, it is 60km east of Shanghai and 30km west of Suzhou, with convenient transportation. The company currently has 98 employees, including 5 national-level engineers and 10 related technical personnel. The company has established technical and talent exchange cooperation with Tongji University, Soochow University, and Jiangsu University of Technology. The company's main business projects include: disposal, utilization, recycling, and processing of waste materials containing precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, osmium, ruthenium, iridium), wipes, slurries, silver contacts, off-cuts, catalysts, waste liquids, adsorption materials, etc., and it can process materials provided by customers. The company has advanced incineration, purification, processing, and wastewater and waste gas treatment equipment, and holds the "Jiangsu Province Hazardous Waste Business License." The company has established a technology center and has obtained more than 20 technical patents. In 2014, it was awarded the "Jiangsu Province High-tech Enterprise." The company has obtained certifications for quality, environment, and occupational safety management systems, and undergoes annual compliance audits. In 2005 and 2007, it was rated as the "Kunshan Circular Economy Demonstration Enterprise" and the "Suzhou Circular Economy Pilot Enterprise." In 2012 and 2013, it was successively rated as the "Clean Production Unit," "Outstanding External Supporting Unit," and "Work Safety Standardization Unit" in Kunshan. In 2015, it obtained the "Kunshan Technology R&D Center" and "Jiangsu Private Technology Enterprise." In March 2024, it was awarded the "Top Ten Green and Safe Enterprises" in Kunshan High-tech Zone. The company's production equipment, "Short Process Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium Clean and Efficient Separation and Refining Technology and Equipment," won the "First Prize" of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Science and Technology Award. In 2011, the company established the "Kunshan Charity Foundation 'Hongfutai Care Fund'," contributing its modest love and organizing employees for public welfare activities. Corporate Vision: Committed to the "zero waste" utilization of precious metals, creating a better environmental life! Corporate Mission: Reduce the environmental burden, continuously create value for customers! Corporate Values: Customer-centric, results-oriented, diligent and responsible, innovative and efficient! Let us all do our part for the environmental protection cause, making our home more comfortable, harmonious, and beautiful! Contact Information Address: No. 89, Changyang Branch Road, Kunshan High-tech Zone General Manager: Zhenzhong Guo Phone: 18915750888 Marketing Department: Jinsheng Mao Phone: 18915750818 Customer Service Department: Jiehua Zhan Phone: 18915750846 Fax: 0512-57799189-0 Email: 18915750818@163.com Website: http://www.chinahft.com.cn Long press to scan the code and sign up immediately 2025SMM (6th) Silver Industry Chain Innovation Conference

Against the backdrop of global economic recovery, the silver industry chain is ushering in new development opportunities. As one of the important precious metals, silver not only plays a role in value preservation and investment in the financial market, but is also widely used in various fields such as the electronics industry, healthcare, solar cells, and automotive manufacturing due to its excellent conductivity, thermal conductivity, and antibacterial properties. To further promote the sustainable development of the silver industry and strengthen communication and cooperation among industries, the 2025SMM (6th) Silver Industry Chain Innovation Conference is scheduled to be held in May 2025. In recent years, with the global demand for renewable energy and high-tech products increasing, the industrial application demand for silver has significantly risen. Meanwhile, global economic uncertainties and changes in monetary policies have also prompted more investors to focus on silver's safe-haven attributes. As an important global commodity market, the attention to the silver industry chain in Asia, North America, and Europe has gradually increased, with local policies, technological innovations, and market demand changes bringing profound impacts on the entire industry chain. At this conference, peers from the upstream and downstream of the silver industry will gather in full attire, focusing on the mining, processing, trading, investment, and application of silver, to comprehensively discuss the challenges faced by the industry and future development opportunities. Click registration form to sign up immediately, join us in shaping the silver future, gain insights into market trends, and collaborate on chain innovation. See you in Ningbo. Participant List Long press to scan the code and register immediately 2025SMM (6th) Silver Industry Chain Innovation Conference

Against the backdrop of global economic recovery, the silver industry chain is ushering in new development opportunities. As one of the important precious metals, silver not only plays a role in value preservation and investment in the financial market, but is also widely used in various fields such as the electronics industry, healthcare, solar cells, and automotive manufacturing due to its excellent conductivity, thermal conductivity, and antibacterial properties. To further promote the sustainable development of the silver industry and strengthen communication and cooperation within the industry, the 2025 SMM (6th) Silver Industry Chain Innovation Conference is planned to be held in May 2025. In recent years, with the growing global demand for renewable energy and high-tech products, the industrial application demand for silver has significantly increased. At the same time, global economic uncertainties and changes in monetary policies have also prompted more investors to pay attention to silver's safe-haven attributes. As an important global commodity market, the attention to the silver industry chain in Asia, North America, and Europe has gradually increased, with local policies, technological innovations, and market demand changes bringing profound impacts on the entire industry chain. At this conference, Shandong Humon Smelting Co., Ltd. will make a grand appearance, joining peers from the upstream and downstream of the silver industry to focus on various aspects such as mining, processing, trade, investment, and application of silver, comprehensively discussing the challenges faced by the industry and future development opportunities. Click registration form to sign up immediately, join us in shaping the silver future, gain insights into market trends, and collaborate on chain innovation. See you in Ningbo. Shandong Humon Smelting Co., Ltd. was established in 1988, restructured into a joint-stock company in 1994, listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in May 2008, and became a subsidiary of Jiangxi Copper Corporation in 2019. Currently, the company is a specialized enterprise with a relatively comprehensive supporting system for gold-copper, gold-lead, and rare and semi-metal mixed smelting and refining processing. Additionally, the company is extensively engaged in various fields such as non-ferrous metal mining, sulfur chemical industry, R&D and production of high-purity metal materials, and international trade of mineral resources. The company is located in Yantai City, Shandong Province, one of China's first 14 coastal open cities. Since its establishment, the company has consistently adhered to a production and operation path supported by advanced technology, maintaining the goal of continuous profitability. After more than 30 years of innovative development, the company has established a complete industrial system integrating "exploration, mining, beneficiation, smelting, refining, and deep processing," and is accelerating its layout in the field of high-purity metal new materials such as high-purity selenium, high-purity tellurium, and chalcogenide glass. Currently, the company's annual production capacity of leading products includes 98 mt of gold, 1,200 mt of silver, 250,000 mt of copper cathode, 100,000 mt of primary lead, and 1.3 million mt of sulphuric acid, while also producing antimony white, bismuth ingots, tellurium ingots, selenium dioxide, metallic arsenic, platinum, palladium, high-purity arsenic, and other rare and high-purity metals. The company has more than 5,000 employees, total assets of 24.7 billion yuan, and annual sales revenue of 75.8 billion yuan. It has consistently ranked first among China's top ten gold smelters for eleven consecutive years, achieving continuous growth in enterprise output value, profits, innovation capabilities, and brand value, gradually entering the center stage of China and the global economic arena. Long press to scan the code and sign up immediately 2025 SMM (6th) Silver Industry Chain Innovation Conference