As a niche yet high-strategic rare metal, hafnium (Hf, atomic number 72) lags behind common metals like copper in public awareness, but its unique physicochemical properties make it irreplaceable for nuclear power, aerospace, semiconductors and other high-end fields. This concise breakdown covers its core traits, supply dynamics and critical applications to highlight its underrecognized role in advanced manufacturing. I. Core Properties A silver-gray, high-melting-point transition metal, hafnium exists solely as a zirconium-associated metal—no independent ore deposits. The near-identical atomic radius and chemical properties of zirconium and hafnium make separation/purification highly challenging, the root of its scarcity.Key strengths for harsh industrial use: 2233℃ melting point, exceptional high-temperature oxidation/structural stability Strong room-temperature plasticity, balanced strength and toughness Superior corrosion resistance (insoluble in dilute acids/alkalis, soluble only in hydrofluoric acid/aqua regia) ~600x higher thermal neutron absorption than zirconium (ideal for nuclear reactor control) High dielectric constant of hafnium oxide (critical for advanced semiconductors) Carbides/nitrides (melting point >2900℃) for ultra-high-temperature ceramics and hard alloys II. Supply & Scarcity Resources: Extremely scarce (crustal abundance ~3 ppm), exclusively tied to zirconium ores. Global resources concentrated in Australia, South Africa, the U.S. and Brazil; China faces low hafnium content in domestic zirconium ores, leading to high external dependence. Supply: Production hinges on zirconium smelting, with zirconium-hafnium separation as a core technical barrier. Only a handful of global players produce high-purity (nuclear/electronic-grade) hafnium at scale, forming an oligopoly. Annual output is ~hundreds of tons, with ultra-low supply elasticity—supply disruptions trigger sharp price swings. Ⅲ. Irreplaceable Core Applications Demand is rigid (no cost-effective substitutes) across high-end sectors: Nuclear Industry: Preferred material for pressurized water reactor control rods, regulating reaction rates and ensuring safety. Driven by global nuclear power revival, demand is steadily growing. Aerospace: Key nickel-based single-crystal superalloy additive, boosting high-temperature creep strength and lifespan for aero-engine turbine blades, combustors and rocket nozzles. Semiconductors: High-purity electronic-grade hafnium oxide overcomes silicon dioxide’s miniaturization limits, reducing leakage current and enabling advanced-node chip production—a key growth driver. Other High-End Fields: Used in cutting tool coatings, special electronic components, corrosion-resistant materials and emerging hydrogen storage research, with expanding use cases. Ⅳ. Conclusion Hafnium is a "scarce niche metal with rigid high-end demand," holding irreplaceable strategic value in China’s key industries (nuclear power, aerospace, semiconductors). The global market remains in long-term tight supply-demand balance, and its strategic and market value will rise alongside global advanced manufacturing upgrades.

On Feb 24, 2026, China placed 20 Japanese firms, including Subaru, on an export control watchlist for unverifiable end-use of dual-use items. This signals tighter controls on critical minerals and tech amid geopolitical and supply chain shifts. The analysis examines the firms' supply chain roles and the long-term industrial implications.

On February 24, 2026, China's Ministry of Commerce issued Announcement No. 12 of 2026, adding 20 Japanese entities, including Subaru Corporation, to the export control "watch list" on the grounds of "inability to verify the end-users and end-uses of dual-use items." This move marks the first time since January 2026 that China has explicitly implemented such list-based management measures targeting Japanese enterprises, signaling a shift toward more precise, systematic, and in-depth development of export controls in the fields of critical minerals and high-tech materials. This article will conduct an in-depth analysis of the core backgrounds of these 20 enterprises, reveal their deep-seated connections with supply chains of critical materials such as rare earths, and explore the potential impact of this measure on the future global industrial landscape.

SMM News on June 23: According to the official announcement from Jingxi Daxinan Manganese Industry Co., Ltd., the company is preparing to conduct an open inquiry-based procurement for selenium dioxide. Procurement scope: 4 mt of selenium dioxide, adhering to the YS/T 651-2007 industry standard, with a grade of SeO₂98 and SeO₂ content ≥98%. The appearance should be white crystalline powder or needle-shaped crystals, with no visible inclusions. Procurement method: Open inquiry. Project budget: Approximately 500,000 yuan. The deadline for quotation submission is 9:00 a.m. (Beijing time) on June 23, 2025. Suppliers must complete the quotation submission for the procurement project on the centralised procurement platform before the deadline.

Due to potential safety hazards in some models of power banks, Shenzhen Romoss Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Romoss"), an established power bank company founded in 2012, has found itself at the center of public controversy. According to an announcement released on June 16 on the official website of the Shenzhen Market Supervision and Administration Bureau, due to the potential combustion risk of some products under extreme scenarios, Shenzhen Romoss Technology Co., Ltd. will recall some mobile power supplies manufactured from June 5, 2023, to July 31, 2024, involving three models: PAC20-272, PAC20-392, and PLT20A-152, totaling 491,745 units. According to product information, the capacity of the three recalled products is 20,000 mAh each. (Image source: Official website of the Shenzhen Market Supervision and Administration Bureau) Public information shows that Romoss, founded in 2012, has nine major product lines, including mobile power supplies, outdoor power supplies, data charging cables, and power adapters. On the afternoon of June 17, one day after the recall announcement was released, a reporter from Caixin Media arrived at the office location indicated on Romoss' official website—Floors 15-18, Tower B, Building 7, Phase III of Shenzhen International Innovation Valley. The reporter found on-site that Romoss' office was enveloped in the atmosphere of the recall incident: the front desk staff continuously received calls and repeatedly told the callers, "You can contact customer service." Multiple staff members were walking while making calls and repeatedly mentioned keywords such as "recall" and "battery cell." Regarding the reporter's interview request, the front desk staff of Romoss stated that they had contacted the brand department on behalf of the reporter, but the other party said it was currently inconvenient to accept interviews. It is worth mentioning that on the afternoon of June 17, the reporter from Caixin Media called the customer service hotline shown in the announcement twice, and the phone prompt said, "The user you dialed has been suspended due to arrears." Two hours later, when the reporter called the hotline again, the prompt changed to, "Sorry, the number you dialed is busy." In addition, the Romoss Tmall flagship store currently sells a new 2025 model of the PAC20 power bank with a capacity of 20,000 mAh, and the battery type is indicated as lithium polymer battery. When the reporter from Caixin Media tried to inquire about the battery cell of the product with customer service, multiple replies stated that the current "recall issue has led to a surge in inquiries." According to previous online news, a student claiming to be from a university in Beijing posted, "The school issued a notice: Recently, it was found that the 20,000 mAh Romoss charger is more prone to explosion during charging compared to other brands and models." In the comment section, multiple netizens also posted screenshots of similar notices, which showed messages like "Received a reminder from the superior competent department" and "Please all faculty and staff promptly check if your power bank is of this brand and model, and it is recommended to discard it immediately to prevent danger." In response, Romoss issued a statement on Weibo on June 14, stating, "Regarding the recent discussions on the incident of 'multiple universities in Beijing banning Romoss power banks,' we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to teachers, students, and the public. We hereby solemnly promise that we will assume full responsibility for any Romoss products identified as defective by authoritative institutions in accordance with the law. Meanwhile, we attach great importance to this matter and have initiated an immediate investigation. We have communicated with relevant departments, including the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education. As of the release of this statement, we have not received any risk notifications from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education. There have been deviations in the dissemination of relevant information, leading to public misunderstandings. We will keep everyone informed of the subsequent developments of this incident through official channels as soon as possible." On June 17, a reporter from Cailian Press interviewed several teachers and students from the Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing Union University, and Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, all of whom stated that they had not noticed the school issuing such a notice. The reporter learned from the interviews that factors such as overcharging, internal short circuits, and poor heat dissipation could potentially lead to bulging or explosion of power banks. Zhang Xiang, Secretary General of the International Intelligent Transport Technology Association and a visiting professor at Huanghe Science & Technology College, told a reporter from Cailian Press that overheating during the use of power banks could cause the product to expand and deform, leading to misalignment of the internal structures such as the positive and negative electrode separators and electrolyte within the battery due to compression. In addition, after prolonged use of power banks, lithium batteries are prone to developing dendritic crystals—lithium dendrites—which can puncture the battery separator. These situations can easily trigger short circuits and lead to explosions. According to information from the website of the Shenzhen Market Supervision and Administration Bureau, the mobile power supply products recalled by Romoss may experience overheating during use in a very small number of cases due to the raw materials of some battery cells, posing a combustion risk under extreme scenarios and presenting safety hazards. Regarding battery cell manufacturers, when asked whether they were involved in supplying products to Romoss, a representative from Sunwoda (300207.SZ) told the reporter, "They did not use our battery cells." A representative from the securities department of Desay Battery (000049.SZ) said, "I don't think so." The securities department of EVE (300014.SZ) stated, "We have not seen any relevant news. Everything is subject to the announcement. We are not really clear about this." "The safety and reliability of power banks can be further enhanced by increasing the functionality of the battery management system and improving the distribution of sensors," Zhang Xiang said. Typically, the explosion of a battery is a cumulative process, and battery safety is basically maintained through detection by relevant sensors. The sensor system measures whether the temperature, current, and voltage of the power bank are within the safe thresholds. If any abnormalities are detected, an alert is issued, which can significantly reduce the likelihood of battery explosion.

On May 26, an evaluation meeting for the project achievements of "Research and Application of Multi-stage Regulation Mechanism for Titanium Dioxide Feedstock Particle Size Based on Multimodal Synergy" was held, hosted by the Metallurgical Society of Sichuan Province. After rigorous evaluation, the evaluation committee concluded that the project's overall technology had reached an internationally advanced level, with the online hydrolysis seed crystal regulation technology achieving an internationally leading level. This achievement not only marks a significant technological leap for Pangang Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Pangang") in the field of titanium dioxide manufacturing but also provides a demonstration model for the intelligent upgrading of China's traditional manufacturing industry. In response to the current situation in China, where the production of titanium dioxide via the sulphuric acid process accounts for over 80% of the total, with severe product homogeneity, overcapacity, and weak competitiveness, Pangang actively responded to the national call and formed a joint research team involving Pangang Research Institute, Pangang Vanadium & Titanium Co., Ltd., Chongqing University, Northeastern University, and others. Led by Dr. Ruifang Lu, a distinguished researcher at the Vanadium and Titanium Chemical Engineering Technology Research Institute of Pangang Research Institute, the team systematically analyzed multi-stage regulation mechanisms such as hydrolysis seed crystal quality, hydrolysis process parameters, and salt treatment formulations, and conducted a series of forward-looking technical studies. Through unremitting efforts, Pangang's research team successfully developed the world's first online determination instrument for hydrolysis seed crystal quality, established the first soft measurement model for metatitanic acid particle size based on machine learning in the industry, pioneered the construction of a predictive model for TiO2 particle growth and crystal transformation under different operating parameters during the calcination process, and formulated a full-process control and preparation technology scheme for the particle size of "seed crystal—metatitanic acid—rutile TiO2". This series of innovative achievements not only broke the traditional model of relying on "empirical operation" in multiple key links of titanium dioxide feedstock particle size regulation but also ended the history of manual determination of hydrolysis seed crystals for titanium dioxide produced via the sulphuric acid process. Currently, this achievement has been successfully applied in five production lines of titanium dioxide via the sulphuric acid process at Pangang, with relevant application indicators meeting or exceeding the product performance indicators in the same application fields domestically and overseas. Among them, the qualification rate of key indicators at Chongqing Titanium Industry Co., Ltd. has increased to over 97%, and the key quality indicators at Panzhihua Dongfang Titanium Industry Co., Ltd. have increased to over 95%. This innovative achievement has been granted one overseas invention patent, 14 domestic invention patents, and one software copyright. In the future, Pangang will continue to intensify the application and promotion of this technology, contributing more scientific and technological strength to promoting the high-quality development of China's traditional manufacturing industry.