Abstract: Niobium and tantalum are important rare metals with irreplaceable strategic value due to their excellent properties such as high melting point，good chemical stability and ductility. Global niobium resources are highly concentrated in Brazil，showing a monopoly pattern; the distribution of tantalum re⁃ sources is relatively dispersed，with Congo（Kinshasa），Rwanda，Brazil and other major producers. China is rich in niobium and tantalum resources，but there are generally problems such as low grade，fine dis⁃ semination size，and complex associated minerals. The development and utilization technology needs to be improved urgently. The distribution characteristics of niobium and tantalum resources，traditional benefici⁃ ation methods（gravity separation，magnetic separation，flotation and combined method）and modern tech⁃ nological progress（high gravity，microbubble flotation，suspension vibration beneficiation，etc.）were sys⁃ tematically reviewed. The analysis shows that the combined beneficiation process is an effective way to im⁃ prove the recovery rate and concentrate grade of niobium and tantalum. Emerging technologies such as high gravity provide new ideas for the efficient enrichment of low-grade and fine-grained refractory resources. In view of the long-term dependence on imports of niobium and tantalum resources in China，it is suggest⁃ ed to strengthen geological exploration，develop new high-efficiency beneficiation processes，promote com⁃ prehensive utilization of associated resources and secondary resource recovery，so as to ensure the safety of national strategic mineral resources.

Key words: niobium-tantalum resources, combined beneficiation, rare metals, flotation