Abstract: There are physical processing，thermal process（roasting method），and wet process（acid hydrolysis method） three processing methods of serpentine（except serpentine jade）.China has begun its development and research about various ap- plications of serpentine since 1990 s，and according to incomplete statistics，there are 575 relevant papers and 27 invention patents.Now serpentine′s research field is broadening and its application range is expanding，for example，from agriculture to medicine，from refractory and building materials to chemical materials，such as metal magnesium and magnesium compounds，from monocrystalline silicon to silicide series products，from environmental protection products to jade products，they are all in rapid development.Therefore，serpentine will have a  better development prospect and a higher application value.

Key words: serpentine, magnesium and magnesium compounds, silicon compounds