R&D Field


The company adheres to the research and development philosophy of "embedding technology into our products and placing value firmly in innovation," consistently focusing on developing new materials, technologies, and products essential for national defense and military-industrial construction. We remain committed to guiding the future through science and technology, creating high-performance non-ferrous alloys that are lighter, stronger, and offer superior cost-effectiveness—ultimately delivering sustained value to our customers. To this end, our R&D team centers its expertise on non-ferrous alloy materials such as aluminum, magnesium, copper, lead, and zinc, dedicating itself to advancing cutting-edge materials and their manufacturing techniques, as well as pioneering plastic deformation and precision machining technologies, all while driving the intelligent integration of structural and functional capabilities.

Here's an introduction to the company's past technological achievements, current research priorities, future development directions, and ongoing project progress.

 

Past technological accumulation

For over the past 50 years, the company has been dedicated to the research, development, production, technical services, and consulting in non-ferrous alloy materials such as aluminum, magnesium, copper, zinc, and lead. To date, it has successfully completed more than 200 scientific research projects. Notably, the company’s pioneering silicon thermal magnesium refining technology has revolutionized the global magnesium industry, shifting from traditional electrolytic processes to the more efficient and sustainable silicon thermal method. This breakthrough has played a pivotal role in establishing China as the world’s leading producer of primary magnesium, accounting for over 80% of global output. Additionally, the company has been at the forefront of domestic innovation, developing cutting-edge products such as magnesium sacrificial anodes, high-performance cast magnesium alloys for automotive transmissions, aluminum-titanium-boron grain refiners, aluminum-titanium-carbon grain refiners, oxidizable and colorable aluminum-manganese-cobalt alloys, aluminum-based fiber sound-absorbing materials, copper-chromium alloys tailored for vacuum high-voltage switch contacts, copper-bismuth-silver-iron alloys, copper-aluminum-bismuth alloys, corrosion-resistant copper-nickel-iron-aluminum alloys, extruded zinc alloy strips for automotive applications, and lead-rare earth grain refiners—each of which has significantly advanced China’s non-ferrous metal industry. Below is a summary of the company’s key research achievements:

Currently conducting project research

Since its restructuring and establishment as Zhengzhou Light Alloy Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. in 2016, the company has prioritized innovation as the key driver for growth, firmly committing to "from zero to one" original innovation. This approach has led to numerous world-first and domestically leading breakthroughs, particularly in the field of aluminum-magnesium lightweight alloys, where the company has achieved significant technological advancements that contribute to weight reduction in aerospace applications and support critical defense and military projects. In the challenging realm of magnesium alloys, the company has made groundbreaking strides by achieving an original breakthrough in ultra-light magnesium-lithium alloys—technologies that are not only highly complex but also represent a global first. By 2019, the company’s production of magnesium-lithium alloys had already surpassed 70% of global output and accounted for more than 95% of China’s total production in this specialized area. Notably, the company has developed cutting-edge magnesium-lithium alloy products, including the shell for magnesium-lithium alloy optical-electronic pods, the housing for magnesium-lithium alloy quadcopter explosion-proof drones, ultra-thin magnesium-lithium alloy foil measuring just 14 microns thick, magnesium-lithium alloy spectral standard reference materials, gyroscopic casings made from the alloy, and large-scale magnesium-lithium alloy forging billets—each showcasing the company’s unparalleled expertise and innovation in this advanced material field.

Leveraging its strengths in magnesium-lithium alloy R&D technology and the company’s unique vacuum melting and casting capabilities, we have successively developed advanced alloy technologies such as high-strength aluminum-lithium alloy preparation, high-strength heat-resistant magnesium-rare earth alloy production, and highly purified magnesium-rare earth intermediate alloy manufacturing. Additionally, we’ve mastered complementary processing techniques for plates, strips, foils, rods, and wires, as well as innovative surface-composite treatments for magnesium-aluminum-titanium alloys, precision component fabrication methods, and cutting-edge recycling technologies for high-value-added magnesium-lithium and aluminum-lithium scrap materials. These initiatives have yielded outstanding results, significantly bolstering our technical expertise and enhancing our industry influence. Below are the research project directions currently underway in recent years:

Future development direction

Based on the company’s current R&D directions and growth strategy, the future R&D team plans to focus on research into ultra-high-strength aluminum alloys, high-modulus aluminum-based composites, extra-large-specification aluminum-lithium and magnesium-lithium alloy sheets, high-modulus magnesium-based composites, high-purity alloy targets, as well as functionally intelligent aluminum, magnesium, and copper alloy materials. Additionally, the team will extend its expertise into the preparation and plastic processing of various lightweight aluminum-magnesium-copper alloys, while also advancing toward precision and智能化 (smart) manufacturing technologies. The following outlines the development priorities for the next decade:

Research project

The company's R&D team has undertaken a significant number of national, provincial/ministerial-level, and industry-specific projects involving aluminum-magnesium-copper alloys, accumulating extensive project development experience. In recent years, the team has successfully completed several key research initiatives, including the National XX Science and Technology Cooperation Project, the International Science and Technology Cooperation Special Project XX, the National Natural Science Foundation Project, and various independently developed research programs. Currently, the team is actively working on several vertical projects, such as the "13th Five-Year Plan" Pre-research Common Technology Project for Equipment Development under the Commission of Equipment Development of the Central Military Commission, the China Aluminum Corporation’s Science and Technology Development Fund Project, and Zhengzhou City’s first batch of Leading Entrepreneurial Team Projects. Meanwhile, the team is also engaged in multiple horizontal projects, including collaboration with a Zhengzhou-based company (on the development of 4043 aluminum alloy wire rods), a Nanjing-based group (focusing on high-performance aluminum alloy conductors), and a space-related institute (working on copper-silver-zirconium alloys for heavy-lift rockets). Additionally, the team maintains deep partnerships with leading defense contractors such as aerospace and aviation systems, as well as major players like China Electronics Technology Group and China North Industries Group Corporation.