scholarly journals Critical Minerals from Post-Processing Tailing. A Case Study from Bangka Island, Indonesia

Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 352
Author(s):  
Karol Zglinicki ◽  
Krzysztof Szamałek ◽  
Stanisław Wołkowicz
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Critical Metals ◽  
Mass Spectrometers ◽  
Heavy Rare Earth Elements ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Critical Raw Materials

The growing demand for critical raw materials (rare earth elements—REE, Nb, Ta, and others) enforces a need to look for their alternative sources. Distortions of the mineral supply chain caused by COVID-19 have necessitated a re-evaluation of what exists as mining waste from previous exploitation. Consequently, this study aims to provide an inventory of raw materials on the Indonesian Tin Islands (Bangka and Belitung). Geological and mineralogical examinations on Bangka have permitted an economic appraisal of tailings from the processing of cassiterite-bearing sands and confirmed the presence of REE-bearing minerals, chiefly monazite and xenotime, zircon, ilmenite, rutile, niobium-tantalum phases. In general, the mineral content of the tailings varies depending on the sampling site and the type of processing used during ore-production. ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometers) analyses revealed anomalous concentrations of LREE (light rare earth elements): La > 5%, Ce > 5%, Pr > 1%, Nd > 1%, Sm > 1% and HREE+Y (heavy rare earth elements and yttrium) up to 2.51 wt%. High values have been found for the “most critical” metals of the HREE group: Dy (up to 0.34 wt%), Tb (up to 0.08 wt%), Eu (up to 61.8 ppm), Nd (>1.0 wt%), and Y (up to 1.20 wt%). In addition, the following contents have been defined: Ga (to 0.03 wt%); Hf (to 0.64 wt%); Ta (to 0.08 wt%); Nb (to 0.23 wt%); W (to 0.14 wt%); Zr (>5.0 wt%); and Sc (to 0.01 wt%). Such high concentrations suggest the tailing dumps to be a potential new source of “critical raw materials”.

scholarly journals The significance of energy consumption in environmental impact of rare earth elements recovery from tailings and mining waste

2019 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 02011
Author(s):  
Karolina Kossakowska ◽  
Katarzyna Grzesik
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Lca Results ◽  
Critical Raw Materials

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are identified as critical raw materials for the European Union economy. REEs are not currently produced in the EU, while there are several sources not properly addressed. Within the ENVIREE project tailings from New Kankberg (Sweden) and Covas (Portugal) were identified as rich in REEs and chosen for recovery processing. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was used to evaluate the environmental impact of REEs recovery. The aim of this study is the detailed analysis of several scenarios with different electricity production schemes of REE recovery. The study discusses the share of energy use in the overall impact on the environment, taking into account diversification in the electricity production structure among EU countries. The energy use is a significant contributor to the overall environmental impact of studied cases. Its share in the total environmental burden is reaching up to 47%. The results show that applying the average electricity scheme production for Europe may lead to biased LCA results. For the accurate LCA results the local production schemes of energy for certain countries should be chosen.

scholarly journals Garnets from Val d’Ala Rodingites, Piedmont, Italy: An Investigation of Their Gemological, Spectroscopic and Crystal Chemical Properties

Minerals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Diella ◽  
Rosangela Bocchio ◽  
Nicoletta Marinoni ◽  
Franca Caucia ◽  
Maria Iole Spalla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Western Alps ◽  
Drift Spectroscopy ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Heavy Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Diffuse Reflectance Infrared

In Val d’Ala (Piedmont, Western Alps, Italy), the more interesting rocks for the mineralogical research are represented by rodingites (rich in mineralized veins and fractures) associated with serpentinites in the eclogitized oceanic crust of Piemonte Zone, south of Gran Paradiso Massif. Among the vein-filling minerals, garnets are the most appreciated as mineral specimens and, in less degree despite their vivid and rich colors, for their potential as gem-quality materials. This study provides a complete gemological characterization of five faceted samples and offers new information by means of Synchrotron X-ray computed micro-tomography imaging gem features. Electron-probe microanalysis (EMPA) and laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) established that the chemical composition of garnets from different localities, resulted both close to pure andradite, enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE) with a positive Eu anomaly, and grossular-andradite solid solution (grandite), enriched in heavy rare earth elements (HREE). X-ray powder diffraction analyses indicate the possible coexistence of almost pure grossular and andradite. A spectroscopic approach, commonly used with gem-like material, by Raman and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy, completes the characterization of the samples. The new data on the textural and geochemical features of the grandite and andradite garnets suggest local growth processes under various chemical and oxidation conditions of metasomatic and metamorphic fluids interacting with the host-rocks. Garnets represent long-lasting mineral records of the complex geological history of the Val d’Ala rodingitic dikes during their oceanic- and subduction-related metamorphic evolution.

scholarly journals Li-Co–Ni-Mn-(REE) veins of the Western Erzgebirge, Germany—a potential source of battery raw materials

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Burisch ◽  
Max Frenzel ◽  
Henning Seibel ◽  
Albert Gruber ◽  
Marcus Oelze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Metal Sulfide ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Light Rare Earth ◽  
Bulk Rock ◽  
Polymetallic Mineralization ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Light Rare Earth Elements

AbstractSituated in the western Erzgebirge metallogenetic province (Vogtland, Germany), the Eichigt prospect is associated with several quartz-Mn-Fe-oxyhydroxide veins that are exposed at surface. Bulk-rock geochemical assays of vein material yield high concentrations of Li (0.6–4.1 kg/t), Co (0.6–14.7 kg/t), and Ni (0.2–2.8 kg/t), as well as significant quantities of Mn, Cu, and light rare earth elements, a very unusual metal tenor closely resembling the mixture of raw materials needed for Li-ion battery production. This study reports on the results of a first detailed investigation of this rather unique polymetallic mineralization style, including detailed petrographic and mineralogical studies complemented by bulk rock geochemistry, electron microprobe analyses, and laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry. The mineralized material comprises an oxide assemblage of goethite hematite, hollandite, and lithiophorite that together cement angular fragments of vein quartz. Lithiophorite is the predominant host of Li (3.6–11.1 kg/t), Co (2.5–54.5 kg/t), and Ni (0.2–8.9 kg/t); Cu is contained in similar amounts in hollandite and lithiophorite whereas light rare earth elements (LREE) are mainly hosted in microcrystalline rhabdophane and florencite, which are finely intergrown with the Mn-Fe-oxyhydroxides. 40Ar/39Ar ages (~ 40–34 Ma) of coronadite group minerals coincide with tectonic activity related to the Cenozoic Eger Graben rifting. A low-temperature hydrothermal overprint of pre-existing base metal sulfide-quartz mineralization on fault structures that were reactivated during continental rifting is proposed as the most likely origin of the polymetallic oxyhydroxide mineralization at Eichigt. However, tectonically enhanced deep-reaching fracture-controlled supergene weathering cannot be completely ruled out as the origin of the mineralization.

scholarly journals Carbonatites and Alkaline Igneous Rocks in Post-Collisional Settings: Storehouses of Rare Earth Elements

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn M. Goodenough ◽  
Eimear A. Deady ◽  
Charles D. Beard ◽  
Sam Broom-Fendley ◽  
Holly A. L. Elliott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Electric Vehicles ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Igneous Rocks ◽  
Geochemical Data ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
Critical Raw Materials

AbstractThe rare earth elements (REE) are critical raw materials for much of modern technology, particularly renewable energy infrastructure and electric vehicles that are vital for the energy transition. Many of the world’s largest REE deposits occur in alkaline rocks and carbonatites, which are found in intracontinental, rift-related settings, and also in syn- to post-collisional settings. Post-collisional settings host significant REE deposits, such as those of the Mianning-Dechang belt in China. This paper reviews REE mineralisation in syn- to post-collisional alkaline-carbonatite complexes worldwide, in order to demonstrate some of the key physical and chemical features of these deposits. We use three examples, in Scotland, Namibia, and Turkey, to illustrate the structure of these systems. We review published geochemical data and use these to build up a broad model for the REE mineral system in post-collisional alkaline-carbonatite complexes. It is evident that immiscibility of carbonate-rich magmas and fluids plays an important part in generating mineralisation in these settings, with REE, Ba and F partitioning into the carbonate-rich phase. The most significant REE mineralisation in post-collisional alkaline-carbonatite complexes occurs in shallow-level, carbothermal or carbonatite intrusions, but deeper carbonatite bodies and associated alteration zones may also have REE enrichment.

scholarly journals Lithological distribution of rare earth elements in automorphic and alluvial soils in the Bregalnica river basin

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biljana Balabanova ◽  
Trajce Stafilov ◽  
Robert Šajn
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Alluvial Soil ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Heavy Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Light Rare Earth Elements

<p>The present study gives an overview of the rare earth elements<strong> (</strong>REEs) distribution in automorphic and alluvial soil (top and sub soil sample) in the Bregalnica river environ. The elements contents were determined using inductively coupled plasma with mass spectrometry. The total sum of the light rare earth elements (ΣLREEs) in the whole investigated area ranges from 8.6-225 mg kg<sup>-1</sup>, while the total sum of the heavy rare earth elements (ΣHREEs) ranges from 0.92-33.7 mg kg<sup>-1</sup>. The distribution of the LREEs (La-Ce-Pr-Nd-Sm-Gd) is predominantly related to the Quaternary terraces and the Paleogene flysch. The anthropogenic activities that occur in the Pb-Zn surroundings and the Cu mineralization in the investigated area significantly influence the lithological distribution of this geochemical association of elements. On the other hand, the long-term deposition of the HREEs (Eu-Tb-Dy-Ho-Er-Tm-Yb-Lu) presents a typical geochemical marker of the area of the Bregalnica river basin.</p>

scholarly journals Composition of Garnet from the Xianghualing Skarn Sn Deposit, South China: Its Petrogenetic Significance and Exploration Potential

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Yu ◽  
Qihai Shu ◽  
Xudong Niu ◽  
Kai Xing ◽  
Linlong Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Major And Trace Elements ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Metallogenic Belt ◽  
Icp Ms ◽  
Heavy Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Southern Hunan

The Xianghualing skarn Sn deposit in the southwestern part of the southern Hunan Metallogenic Belt is a large Sn deposit in the Nanling area. In this paper, the garnet has been analyzed by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to obtain the concentrations of the major and trace elements. The results reveal that the garnets from the Xianghualing deposit mainly belong to andradite-grossular (grandite) solid solution and are typically richer in Al than in Fe. They show enrichment in heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) and notably lower light rare earth elements (LREEs), and commonly negative Eu anomalies, indicative of a relatively reduced formation environment. The garnets have high Sn concentrations between 2313 ppm and 5766 ppm. It is also evident that there is a positive correlation between Sn and Fe, suggesting that Sn4+ substitutes into the garnets through substituting for Fe3+ in the octahedral position. Combined with previous studies, it can be recognized that the Sn concentrations of garnet in skarn Sn deposits are generally high, whereas the W concentrations are relatively low. This is just the opposite in garnets from skarn W deposits that typically have high W, but low Sn concentrations. In polymetallic skarn deposits with both economic Sn and W, the concentrations of both metals in garnets are relatively high, although varying greatly. Therefore, the Sn and W concentrations in garnets can be used to evaluate a skarn deposit’s potential to produce Sn and (or) W mineralization, which is helpful in exploration.

Red mud as secondary source for critical raw materials - purification of rare earth elements by liquid/liquid extraction

2017 ◽  
Vol 92 (10) ◽  
pp. 2683-2690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Éva Ujaczki ◽  
Yannick Zimmermann ◽  
Christoph Gasser ◽  
Mónika Molnár ◽  
Viktória Feigl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Red Mud ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Liquid Extraction ◽  
Secondary Source ◽  
Liquid Liquid Extraction ◽  
Critical Raw Materials

scholarly journals REE Geochemical Characteristic of Apatite: Implications for Ore Genesis of the Zhijin Phosphorite

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1012
Author(s):  
Liu Xiqiang ◽  
Zhang Hui ◽  
Tang Yong ◽  
Liu Yunlong
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Ore Deposits ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Ree Distribution ◽  
Phosphorite Deposit ◽  
Heavy Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Geochemical Analyses

Phosphorite-type rare earth deposits, which are one of the important types of rare earth elements (REE) ore deposits, have attracted increasing attention because of the extreme enrichments in heavy rare earth elements (HREE), including Yttrium (Y). In this study, in situ geochemical analyses of apatite grains from Zhijin phosphorites were conducted using electron probe microanalysis (EMPA) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Based on EPMA mapping analysis, we show that rare earth elements and Yttrium (REY) entering into the crystal lattice by isomorphism rather than by inclusions of REY-bearing accessory minerals. The post-Archean Australian Shales (PAAS)-normalized REY patterns of the apatite grains are characterized by hat-shaped MREE-enriched patterns. We interpret that this pattern may reflect the REE distribution of seawater at that time. We propose that in a local, reducing environment, dramatically increased the concentration of REY in seawater, and resulted in the MREE-enriched patterns in the ancient ocean. The main mechanism for the genesis of the Zhijin phosphorite deposit is the apatite crystallizes during the mixing process of REY- and P-rich fluid and oxidizing seawater.

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