China has abundant and diverse phosphate resources, mainly including sedimentary phosphate rock deposits, metamorphic phosphate deposits, endogenous apatite deposits, weathered secondary phosphate deposits, and bird droppings phosphate deposits.

一、Different characteristics of five types of mineral deposits

（一）、Sedimentary phosphate rock deposits

      The Sinian Cambrian period is the main mineralization period of marine sedimentary phosphate rock deposits in China.These mineral deposits are mainly distributed in Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan and other areas of the Yangtze region, forming the Hunan Guizhou metallogenic belt, the Shaanxi Hubei metallogenic belt, and the Zhejiang Guangxi metallogenic belt. Among them, the Doushantuo Formation is the largest phosphate sedimentary layer in China, while the Meishucun Formation constitutes the second largest phosphate sedimentary layer after the Doushantuo Formation.

（二）、Metamorphic phosphate deposits

    This type of mineral deposit was formed in the early Cambrian (Archean and Proterozoic) and is widely distributed in the North China continental nucleus, southern Liaoning Jilin northern Korea continental nucleus, and other areas. They have undergone complex metamorphic processes, forming two major types of mineral deposits: greenstone belt type and sedimentary metamorphic type. Representative mineral deposits include the Zhaobinggou phosphate deposit in Fengning, Hebei and the Wulanwusu phosphate deposit in Jianping, Liaoning, which belong to low-grade and easily selectable apatite deposits.

（三）、Endogenous apatite deposits

      Endophytic apatite deposits are usually associated with mantle derived magmatic activity, and their occurrence dates are mostly from the Precambrian to Paleozoic. Although this type of deposit may not have the same reserve scale as phosphate rock deposits, it still remains an important source of phosphorus due to its ease of selection and high comprehensive utilization value. A typical example is the Fanshan iron phosphate mine in Zhuolu, Hebei, which has an average P2O5 grade greater than 11% and a total iron mass fraction of about 13%.

（四）、Weathered secondary phosphate deposits

    Weathered secondary phosphate deposits refer to mineral deposits formed by the physical and chemical weathering and leaching of the original phosphate layer. They are widely distributed in China, but their reserves are not large, mainly concentrated in provinces and regions such as Sichuan, Guangxi, Hunan, and Yunnan. This type of deposit is generally divided into two types: weathering leaching residual deposit type and weathering redeposition type. The former enriches the residual phosphorus in the original phosphorus bearing layer through weathering, while the latter is formed by the re deposition of exposed phosphorus ore or phosphorus bearing layer after being invaded by sea.

（五）、Bird droppings phosphate deposits

    Bird droppings phosphate deposits are formed on coastal islands, and due to their different formation environments, they can be divided into soluble and leached types. They are characterized by being small and rich, and are easy to use directly as fertilizers, but their resources are limited. There is a certain distribution on the islands along the southern coast of China, and many mines have been exhausted by traditional mining methods.

二、The role of photoelectric beneficiation in the pre selection of phosphate ore in China

      China has abundant and diverse phosphate resources, mainly composed of sedimentary phosphate rocks,The main function of photoelectric beneficiation for phosphate ore separation is to improve beneficiation efficiency, reduce environmental pollution, have a wide range of applications, promote refined management, and sustainable development.

    In the future, with the strengthening of global environmental policies, optoelectronic beneficiation will bring significant changes to the global beneficiation landscape.