Dianzuo Wang was born in 1934 in Liaoning Province, China. After graduating from Central-South Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in 1961 (now called Central South University), he would go on to become a Professor in the field of Mineral, Metallurgical and Material Engineering.
He has served as a lecturer, associate professor and professor at Central-South Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, President of Central South University of Technology (1985-1991); President of the General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals (GRINM) (1991-1996), Honorary President of the GRINM, and Vice-President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (1998-2006).
His major research interests include mineral flotation and flotation reagents, applied surface chemistry in mineral, metallurgical and material processing, electrochemistry of flotation for sulfide minerals, flotation of fine particles, agglomeration and dispersion of fine particles, solution chemistry of flotation, bio-extraction technology for sulfide minerals, waste and secondary resources recovery etc.
Prof. Wang was elected a foreign member of the National Academy of Engineering (USA) in 1990, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991, and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 1994.