DAI Yongnian, an expert on Nonferrous Vacuum Metallurgy, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Professor of KUST, died of illness in Kunming at the age of 92 on January 27th after medical treatment failed.
He Did Many Good Things to the Society
DAI Yongnian often said, “Throughout the journey of life, one should do something beneficial to society.” This was also his life tenet.
Compared with vacuum metallurgy, China’s time-honored traditional metallurgical process had a high cost but inefficiently yields. The field of vacuum metallurgy was like a “blank area” for China at that time. In addition, referential theoretical and practical experience from around the world was scarce. To achieve China’s developmental goals, DAI Yongnian returned to China after finishing his studies abroad and set off on his over six-decade journey of vacuum metallurgy research.
Academician DAI Yongnian Photo from KUST
In 1959, in a simple and crude laboratory in front of a small vacuum furnace DAI Yongnian began his long-term research on vacuum metallurgy.
With 21 years of devotion, DAI Yongnian successfully made the first vacuum furnace, which although seemingly rudimentary, showed great technical superiority. The vacuum furnace could smelt 400 kilograms of tin in one day. Meanwhile the space required, cost of construction investment, and labor costs were merely one-seventh of the existing traditional technology. This only served to greatly increase DAI Yongnian’s confidence. In the years that followed, the focus of his research became more concentrated and he made a string of technological breakthroughs.
Academician DAI Yongnian at Work Photo from KUST
In 1977, DAI Yongnian and his partners devised a new method for separating Pb from Sn-Pb alloys through vacuum technology. This raised the recovery rate of tin substantially;
In 1981, DAI Yongnian extensively applied the above-mentioned technology in the fields of vacuum metallurgy and the preparation of new materials in order to reduce the pollution from productive processes as well as the waste of raw materials;
With his unremitting efforts over the years, China’s vacuum metallurgy technology gradually advanced to the forefront of the world.
While DAI Yongnian had already made numerous achievements through the process of unceasing exploration and research, he still volunteered to set up the courses and experiments to find qualified successors for the field of nonferrous vacuum metallurgy. He attached great importance to the cultivation of young people and offered careful guidance to them.
Academician DAI Yongnian Encouraged the Discipline of Metallurgy at KUST in order to Make Greater Contributions to China’s Economic Development Photo from Faculty of Metallurgy and Energy Engineering of KUST
He Stood Willingly on the Platform, Tireless in Teaching.
DAI Yongnian took charge of the compilation of the textbook Tin Metallurgy in 1977. This textbook was the first of its kind in China and was listed as a National Excellent Scientific and Technological Book. Compiled under the leadership of DAI Yongnian, Vacuum Metallurgy, China’s first systematic monograph in the field, won the second prize of the National Book Award for Outstanding Scientific and Technological Books as appraised by the General Administration of Press and Publication. Additionally, Nonferrous Vacuum Metallurgy, a college textbook of 290,000 words, was also published under his general editorship. These monographs have played crucial roles in the talent cultivation of China during the process of production and teaching. In 1983, he began to take in graduate students and became a doctoral supervisor under the approval of the State Academic Committee in 1990.
Although DAI Yongnian’s research journey was not always smooth, he managed to go further and further on the road of scientific and technological innovation against all oddsthrough his unswerving commitment to the country and his passion. “I have spent nearly 20 consecutive years studying vacuum metallurgy and the separation of lead and tin alloys. There were many failures and challenges, and it took me 20 years to succeed. If my courage faltered midway through difficult times, I would not have achieved what I have today.”
In 2000, DAI Yongnian was diagnosed with bladder cancer while in his 70s. However, this diagnosis did not stop him from moving forward. When he was still recuperating from his operation, his ward became the office where he taught graduate students and gave them instructions on writing papers. He persevered in participating the thesis defense of his students in spite of his weak body.
Academician DAI Yongnian Photo from KUST
In the eyes of his students, DAI Yongnian was quite strict. He often said: “Time is limited to only 24 hours a day, and if you don’t cherish your time and try to learn more, you might just grow old with nothing accomplished”.
However, DAI Yongnian could also be approachable in the opinion of his students. When answering the question of who was his favorite pupil, he said that every student had his or her own merits. No matter whether students followed him to further research on vacuum metallurgy or turned towards new subjects and started all over again, he felt they were capable of outstanding achievements and were extraordinary.
The spirit of devotion to work and diligence were embodied in the teaching and the scientific research activities of DAI Yongnian. He unconsciously influenced the more than 60 doctoral candidates and postgraduate students who were cultivated and instructed by him. His students have taken up significant posts within the metallurgy material industry and posts of management or teaching both at home and abroad. Some of them even have become important experts on vacuum metallurgy.
Academician DAI Yongnian at Work Photo from KUST
2018 was the 40th anniversary of China’s adoption of the Reform and Opening-up Policy. When talking about this memorable year, complex emotions arose in DAI Yongnian’s heart as he reflected on the speed of nonferrous vacuum metallurgy development alongside the rapid progress and advancement of Yunnan’s society and economy. “Drastic changes have taken place in the field of vacuum metallurgy during the four decades since the beginning of Reform and Opening-up!” As a result, he encouraged the young generation of scientific and technical personnel to pour their patriotic emotions and dedication into the great cause of reform and development of our country. “Now our country is strong, our people are living in happiness and various causes are forging ahead steadily. I love our great motherland, and I’m willing to dedicate my whole life to our country.”
He Donated Generously for Our Country and Education.
Academician DAI Yongnian and his wife led a simple life, yet they would help with the development of the university through generous donation. As early as in 2015, the couple established the “Innovation Award of KUST” with their own donation. In March 2019, DAI Yongnian and his wife donated 300,000 yuan in their own names to set up the “KUST Special Fund for the Construction of a ‘Double First-Class’ University”, aimed at supporting the related works that needed to be carried out.
DAI Yongnian and His Wife
Academician DAI Yongnian said at a fund donation ceremony, “Now I’m 90 years old, and 65 years have passed since KUST was founded and I joined KUST along with the Department of Mining at Yunnan University. I often think about how to return this great favor to KUST.”
DAI Yongnian spent his lifetime doing scientific and technological research on mining and metallurgy in Yunnan, a frontier province. He overcame many world-level difficulties in the comprehensive utilization of resources within the nonferrous industry. He also made a series of original achievements in terms of nonferrous vacuum metallurgy, exerting a far-reaching influence at home and abroad. It is worth mentioning that his refining technique of tin has pushed out the formerly traditional technique and has been spread to tin refiners around the world. He and his research group successfully developed the “internally heated multistage continuous distillation vacuum furnace”, the “horizontal vacuum furnace” as well as the “new vacuum smelting technique of lithium”. His research results have generated an innumerable value of output through their application by more than 40 companies in China and abroad.
DAI Yongnian repeatedly said, “Foster virtues, enhance learning, give full play to creativity, and bring benefits to people.” This is also the most authentic description of his whole life.
Editor of YUNNAN.CN SUN Yinxiang Intern Editor GUO Xiaoyu Synthesized from People’s Daily Online, Guangming Net, Xinhua Net, Yunnan Daily, Yunnan Release, Dianchi Morning News and the website of KUST
Translated by: FU Ruoxue, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Cultures
Edited by: DUAN Tianting, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Cultures (English)
Issued by: Division of International Cooperation (English)
Edited by: KUST News Center (Chinese)
