The Enrichment Regularity of Rare Earth Elements and Resource Characteristics in Polymetallic Nodules/Crusts

2011 ◽  
Vol 284-286 ◽  
pp. 2497-2500
Author(s):  
Lian Feng Gao ◽  
Peng Zhang ◽  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Zhen Guo Zhang ◽  
Chang Shui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Manganese Oxides ◽  
Average Content ◽  
Cobalt Nickel ◽  
Mineral Development ◽  
Polymetallic Nodules ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Resource Characteristics ◽  
Iron Manganese

Polymetallic nodules/crusts are one of the most important mineral deposits in the ocean, in which iron, manganese, copper, cobalt, nickel and other metals are rich, and rare earth elements are rich, too. In this study, the contents of 11 rare earth samples in polymetallic nodules/crusts from the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean and north of the South China Sea are analyzed. The average content of rare earth in polymetallic nodules/crusts is 1265.57×10-6, the average content of nodules is 1096.96×10-6, and the average content of crust is 1623.88×10-6. The enrichment of rare earth elements is controlled by iron and manganese oxides and clay minerals in nodules/crusts, which could absorb rare earth elements from seawater and sediment. Ce elements are highly enriched, making polymetallic nodules/crusts become the first used rare earth elements in mineral development.

Causative Mechanism of the Continental Margin Polymetallic Nodules from the South China Sea and its Resource Effects

2012 ◽  
Vol 524-527 ◽  
pp. 408-412
Author(s):  
Zhen Guo Zhang ◽  
Chang Shui Liu ◽  
Lian Feng Gao ◽  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Guo Yuan Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
South China Sea ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Continental Margin ◽  
South China ◽  
Manganese Oxides ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Polymetallic Nodules ◽  
Fe And Mn

Polymetallic nodules are one of the most important sedimentary mineral resources in the ocean, in which iron, manganese, copper, cobalt, nickel and other metals are rich, and rare earth elements are rich, too. The samples are collected from the northwest continental margin of South China Sea (SCS). Their model show the similar appearance to the oceanic nodules which collected from the Pacific and Indian Ocean. They are big, regular shape and clear layers. But their geochemical characteristics show distinct difference with oceanic nodules.The samples formed by multiple millimeter-thick layers of Fe and Mn oxyhydroxides surrounding the nucleus composed of plastic marl and sediment. Massive, laminated, detrital and mottled to dendritic textural features were developed by the Fe and Mn oxyhydroxide layers.Based on the detailed study of the geochemistry and growth rate, the nodules may represent new-type ones which grow fastly in high sediment rates environment from the northwest continental margin of the SCS. The reason of the fast growth may be affected by the environmental fluctuations and the change of terrigenous sediments. Elements correlation of Mn-Fe-(Cu+Ni) suggests that the origin of the sample may be of hydrogenic. It may be show that these nodules are dominative of the special environment of the marginal sea which includes the geographical condition and the oceanic environmental factors. The average content of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in these samples are much higher than those recorded in Earth’ crust and sedimentary rocks. The enrichment of rare earth elements is controlled by iron and manganese oxides and clay minerals in nodules, which could absorb rare earth elements from seawater and terrigenous sediment. Ce elements are highly enriched, making polymetallic nodules become the first used rare earth elements in oceanic mineral development.

Rare earth elements in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

1985 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 1943-1959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hein J.W. De Baar ◽  
Michael P. Bacon ◽  
Peter G. Brewer ◽  
Kenneth W. Bruland
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
The Pacific

scholarly journals Ocean-Floor Sediments as a Resource of Rare Earth Elements: An Overview of Recently Studied Sites

Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 142
Author(s):  
Jelena Milinovic ◽  
Francisco J. L. Rodrigues ◽  
Fernando J. A. S. Barriga ◽  
Bramley J. Murton
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
Ocean Floor ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Ree Distribution ◽  
The Pacific Ocean ◽  
Renewable Energy Generation

The rare earth elements (REE), comprising 15 elements of the lanthanum series (La-Lu) together with yttrium (Y) and scandium (Sc), have become of particular interest because of their use, for example, in modern communications, renewable energy generation, and the electrification of transport. However, the security of supply of REE is considered to be at risk due to the limited number of sources, with dependence largely on one supplier that produced approximately 63% of all REE in 2019. As a result, there is a growing need to diversify supply. This has resulted in the drive to seek new resources elsewhere, and particularly on the deep-ocean floor. Here, we give a summary of REE distribution in minerals, versatile applications, and an update of their economic value. We present the most typical onshore methods for the determination of REE and examine methods for their offshore exploration in near real time. The motivation for this comes from recent studies over the past decade that showed ΣREE concentrations as high as 22,000 ppm in ocean-floor sediments in the Pacific Ocean. The ocean-floor sediments are evaluated in terms of their potential as resources of REE, while the likely economic cost and environmental impacts of deep-sea mining these are also considered.

Deep-sea mud in the Pacific Ocean as a potential resource for rare-earth elements

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (8) ◽  
pp. 535-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Kato ◽  
Koichiro Fujinaga ◽  
Kentaro Nakamura ◽  
Yutaro Takaya ◽  
Kenichi Kitamura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Sea Mud ◽  
Potential Resource ◽  
The Pacific Ocean

Selective Sorption of Ce3+ over La3+ Ions on Biogenic Manganese Oxides

2009 ◽  
Vol 71-73 ◽  
pp. 633-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiko Sasaki ◽  
T. Kaseyama ◽  
Tsuyoshi Hirajima
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Manganese Oxides ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Fundamental Study ◽  
Selective Sorption ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Mn Oxide ◽  
Biogenic Mn Oxides ◽  
Mn Oxides

Unique properties of biogenic Mn oxides were applied to a fundamental study of separation and recovery of rare earth elements. Selective sorption of Ce3+ over La3+ ions was achieved at neutral pH values using biogenic Mn oxides produced by Paraconiothyrium sp. WL-2 strain. The selective coefficient for Ce3+ (αCe) was much greater with biogenic and synthetic Mn oxides than those for La3+ (αLa). Ce3+ ions were oxidized to CeO2 by Mn(III, IV) in Mn oxides under anaerobic conditions resulting in the release of Mn2+ ions, while La3+ ions were sorbed without a redox reaction. With an increase in coexisting La3+ ions, sorption of Ce3+ on both Mn oxides was significantly suppressed, especially with synthetic Mn oxides. The edges of the structure are competitive sites because of fewer numbers of vacant sites in synthetic Mn oxide layers. The preferential sorption on the edge sites of Mn oxides is in the order of La3+ > Ce3+. These phenomena can be expanded to separation and recovery of other rare earth elements from natural and anthropogenic sources.

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