Abstract:Resources, energy and environment are important issues restricting the sustainable development of non-ferrous metallurgy. Considering the low reserves, low comprehensive recoveries and heavy environment pollution of non-ferrous metallurgy in China, the principle of minimum chemical reaction equivalent was proposed to analyze and optimize the extraction process from the perspectives of resources, environment, energy, consumption of raw and auxiliary materials, investment and cost etc., to maximize extraction of main and accompanied metals, minimize the material consumption and the environment impact, and improve the economic benefits of enterprises. On the guidance of the principle of minimum chemical reaction equivalent, several technology systems were developed, such as controllable pressure leaching technology of complex resources, and new processing and extraction technology for refractory oxide ores, which have been applied in many industries such as copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, lithium, molybdenum, etc., meanwhile the accompanied metals such as gallium, germanium, rhenium, gold, silver were comprehensive recovered. The effectively clean extraction of strategic metals and wide application in industry were realized.