Since 1980s, Sun Chuanyao and his collaborators have spent 10 years tackling key problems, and creatively put forward the asynchronous mixed flotation method, which was the first success in Fankou lead-zinc mine in China and won the second prize of National Science and Technology Progress Award 1989. In addition, they have successively developed new technologies for lead-zinc separation, which have been successfully applied in Xilin, Hunjiang and Xitieshan mines and won many ministerial-level science and technology awards. These achievements have promoted the technological progress of lead and zinc beneficiation in China.
Since 1992, he has worked hard to develop the comprehensive technology of electrochemical controlled flotation, and focused on industrial application. This technology has been successful in Xilin lead-zinc mine and other mines, and won the second prize of 1996 National Science and Technology Progress Award. Fully organized, led and participated in the national key scientific and technological project of the Eighth Five-Year Plan and the Ninth Five-Year Plan-scientific and technological research on mineral processing of complex polymetallic ore in Shizhuyuan, Hunan Province. After 10 years' struggle, he has successfully studied the new processing technology of complex polymetallic ore of tungsten, molybdenum and bismuth, and solved the comprehensive recovery technology of molybdenum and bismuth sulfide ore, scheelite and fluorite. At present, he is the project leader of the national tenth five-year plan scientific and technological research project.
Sun Chuanyao was appointed vice president of Beijing Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in September 1985 and president since February 1988. He is the longest-serving dean of a large scientific research institute in China.
During the period of 1997, the institute successively merged two factories that were on the verge of bankruptcy, creating a precedent for scientific research institutions to merge enterprises. Today, the two companies have made seven leaps in seven years and made profits for five consecutive years. Beikuang Magnetic Materials Science and Technology Co., Ltd., established by the Institute as the main sponsor, achieved good results and went public in May 2004. The enterprise is in good operating condition.
During his 17 years as dean, he hung five medals on his chest: three were the second prize of national scientific and technological progress (1989, 1996, 200 1), and 1 was the national model worker medal (2000).