A laboratory for niobium, tantalum, and beryllium research was established recently in Yinchuan, the capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The lab, jointly sponsored by the Northwest Rare Metal Material Research Institute and the Ningxia Nonferrous Metal Smeltery, will focus on the uses of niobium, tantalum, and other special materials to develop corresponding industrial sectors and the local economy.

Rich in mineral resources, Ningxia has large reserves of tantalum, lithium, beryllium, and niobium. The region provides more than 70 percent of all tantalum products to the domestic market.

The research institute and the smeltery are the country's largest research base for these materials.