ranking light to heavy rare earth deposits worldwide

84
Ranking and evaluating light to heavy rare earth deposits worldwide: exploration considerations to economic assessment Mushghi Khudag - Mongolia David Lentz & Anthony N. Mariano

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At the 2010 Prospector's and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Conference, David Lentz and Anthony Mariano gave a presentation on ranking and evaluating light to heavy rare earth deposits worldwide. This is that presentation.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Ranking and evaluating light to heavy rare earth deposits worldwide

exploration considerations to economic assessment

Mushghi

Khudag

-

Mongolia

David Lentz amp Anthony N Mariano

Major Considerations

Assuming a favourable political climate and good logistics conditions determining the viability of deposits that can compete in the world market are as followshellip

1) Mineralogy and favourable lanthanide distribution

2) Grade and tonnage

3) Amenability to mining and mineral processing at low costs and successful chemical cracking of the individual lanthanides for their isolation

4) Acceptable low values of accompanying deleterious impurities

5) Minimum impact on the environment

Any lower production costs can significantly reduce the grade requirements

USGS facts

USGS facts

USGS facts

106 107 108 109 1010

Tonnes

of Ores

Gra

de (w

t)

01

10

10

100

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCCarbonatites

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSC

Peralkalic

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

bull

This new resource statement estimates the inventory of contained metal within

a 457 Mt

ore body to be 491 Mt

of Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) 099 Mt and Zinc 012 Mt of Uranium Oxide (283 Mlbs) and 309 Mt of NaF

bull Indicated amp Inferred 457 Mt0028 U3O8 107 TREO 022 Zn at a015 U3O8 cut off

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 2: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Major Considerations

Assuming a favourable political climate and good logistics conditions determining the viability of deposits that can compete in the world market are as followshellip

1) Mineralogy and favourable lanthanide distribution

2) Grade and tonnage

3) Amenability to mining and mineral processing at low costs and successful chemical cracking of the individual lanthanides for their isolation

4) Acceptable low values of accompanying deleterious impurities

5) Minimum impact on the environment

Any lower production costs can significantly reduce the grade requirements

USGS facts

USGS facts

USGS facts

106 107 108 109 1010

Tonnes

of Ores

Gra

de (w

t)

01

10

10

100

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCCarbonatites

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSC

Peralkalic

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

bull

This new resource statement estimates the inventory of contained metal within

a 457 Mt

ore body to be 491 Mt

of Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) 099 Mt and Zinc 012 Mt of Uranium Oxide (283 Mlbs) and 309 Mt of NaF

bull Indicated amp Inferred 457 Mt0028 U3O8 107 TREO 022 Zn at a015 U3O8 cut off

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 3: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

USGS facts

USGS facts

USGS facts

106 107 108 109 1010

Tonnes

of Ores

Gra

de (w

t)

01

10

10

100

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCCarbonatites

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSC

Peralkalic

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

bull

This new resource statement estimates the inventory of contained metal within

a 457 Mt

ore body to be 491 Mt

of Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) 099 Mt and Zinc 012 Mt of Uranium Oxide (283 Mlbs) and 309 Mt of NaF

bull Indicated amp Inferred 457 Mt0028 U3O8 107 TREO 022 Zn at a015 U3O8 cut off

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 4: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

USGS facts

USGS facts

106 107 108 109 1010

Tonnes

of Ores

Gra

de (w

t)

01

10

10

100

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCCarbonatites

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSC

Peralkalic

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

bull

This new resource statement estimates the inventory of contained metal within

a 457 Mt

ore body to be 491 Mt

of Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) 099 Mt and Zinc 012 Mt of Uranium Oxide (283 Mlbs) and 309 Mt of NaF

bull Indicated amp Inferred 457 Mt0028 U3O8 107 TREO 022 Zn at a015 U3O8 cut off

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 5: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

USGS facts

106 107 108 109 1010

Tonnes

of Ores

Gra

de (w

t)

01

10

10

100

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCCarbonatites

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSC

Peralkalic

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

bull

This new resource statement estimates the inventory of contained metal within

a 457 Mt

ore body to be 491 Mt

of Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) 099 Mt and Zinc 012 Mt of Uranium Oxide (283 Mlbs) and 309 Mt of NaF

bull Indicated amp Inferred 457 Mt0028 U3O8 107 TREO 022 Zn at a015 U3O8 cut off

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 6: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

106 107 108 109 1010

Tonnes

of Ores

Gra

de (w

t)

01

10

10

100

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCCarbonatites

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSC

Peralkalic

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

bull

This new resource statement estimates the inventory of contained metal within

a 457 Mt

ore body to be 491 Mt

of Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) 099 Mt and Zinc 012 Mt of Uranium Oxide (283 Mlbs) and 309 Mt of NaF

bull Indicated amp Inferred 457 Mt0028 U3O8 107 TREO 022 Zn at a015 U3O8 cut off

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 7: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSC

Peralkalic

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

bull

This new resource statement estimates the inventory of contained metal within

a 457 Mt

ore body to be 491 Mt

of Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) 099 Mt and Zinc 012 Mt of Uranium Oxide (283 Mlbs) and 309 Mt of NaF

bull Indicated amp Inferred 457 Mt0028 U3O8 107 TREO 022 Zn at a015 U3O8 cut off

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 8: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSCPeralkalic

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSC

Peralkalic

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

bull

This new resource statement estimates the inventory of contained metal within

a 457 Mt

ore body to be 491 Mt

of Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) 099 Mt and Zinc 012 Mt of Uranium Oxide (283 Mlbs) and 309 Mt of NaF

bull Indicated amp Inferred 457 Mt0028 U3O8 107 TREO 022 Zn at a015 U3O8 cut off

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 9: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Tonnes

of ore Richardson amp Birkett

1996

GSC

Peralkalic

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

bull

This new resource statement estimates the inventory of contained metal within

a 457 Mt

ore body to be 491 Mt

of Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) 099 Mt and Zinc 012 Mt of Uranium Oxide (283 Mlbs) and 309 Mt of NaF

bull Indicated amp Inferred 457 Mt0028 U3O8 107 TREO 022 Zn at a015 U3O8 cut off

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 10: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

bull

This new resource statement estimates the inventory of contained metal within

a 457 Mt

ore body to be 491 Mt

of Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) 099 Mt and Zinc 012 Mt of Uranium Oxide (283 Mlbs) and 309 Mt of NaF

bull Indicated amp Inferred 457 Mt0028 U3O8 107 TREO 022 Zn at a015 U3O8 cut off

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 11: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

bull

This new resource statement estimates the inventory of contained metal within

a 457 Mt

ore body to be 491 Mt

of Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) 099 Mt and Zinc 012 Mt of Uranium Oxide (283 Mlbs) and 309 Mt of NaF

bull Indicated amp Inferred 457 Mt0028 U3O8 107 TREO 022 Zn at a015 U3O8 cut off

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit Ilimaussaq Complex

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 12: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Kvanefjeld REE-U deposit

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 13: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Model for Peralkalic Magma Systems

BrecciasBrecciasBrecciasdiatremesdiatremesdiatremes

Contact pegmatiteContact pegmatiteapliteaplite

EndograniticEndograniticpegmatitepegmatite

Late Late apliteaplite--pegmatitepegmatitedike(sdike(s))

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 14: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

APLITERiebeckiteK-feldsparZircon(Baddellyite)Nb-Fe oxideAeschyniteFergusoniteEuxeniteREE carbonate

WelsfordWelsford Dyke swarmsDyke swarms

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 15: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Welsford

model

Marsh (1995)

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 16: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Major Rare Earth Sources

Mineral

Composition

Occurrence

Bastnaumlsite

(Ce) (REE) CO3

F

Carbonatites

Monazite (Ce) (REE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Xenotime

(Y) (YREE) PO4

Beach Sands Hydrothermal

Loparite

(Ce) (REENaCa) (Ti NbTa)O3

Alkaline igneous massif

South China Clays (Ion-adsorbed REE+Y in Clays)

Uraninite

(REE and Y mdash

Released as dissolved elements

in rafinates

from uraninite)

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 17: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Monazite pseudomorph

after apatite Monazite pseudomorph

after Rhabdophane

Florencite

pseudomorph

after pyrochlore Churchite

YPO4

middot2H2

O

Supergene Minerals ndash

MT Weld Australia

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 18: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Apatite

with Substitutional

REE

Oka Quebec

Carbonatite

Nolanrsquos Bore Australia

Carbonatite

Mushgai

Khudag Mongolia

Carbonatite

Phalaborwa South Africa

Carbonatite

Kola Peninsula

Carbonatite

and Alkaline Massifs

Hoidas

Lake Saskatchewan

Hydrothermal in Granites

Mineville New York

Tailings from Magnetite Mining

Mineville may be the only Y and HREE dominant source currently known

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 19: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

HD -

176 mm HD -

44 mm

XPL MicrographsBastnaumlsite

in Carbonatite

Mountain Pass CA

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 20: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

BSE Image AncyliteHD ndash

07 mm

PPL Micrograph Ancylite

Ancylite

(Ce)

SrREE(CO3

)2

(OH)H2

O

LREE -

dominant ndash

50 wt REO

An exploration target in the

Bear Lodge Carbonatite

Complex of northeastern Wyoming

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 21: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Red Wine Complex Labrador Dora Bay Alaska

Eudialyte

Na15

Ca6

(Fe2+Mn2+)3

Zr3

(SiNb)(Si25

O73

)(OOHH2

O)3

(CLOH)2

Eudialyite

may also contain Y and HREE

in amounts exceeding 4 wt The

mineral is easily dissolved in weak acids

but colloidal silica currently presents a

problem in the isolation of Y REE and Zr

oxides

Kipawa Quebec

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 22: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Massive Britholite

(Ce) Oka Quebec

Britholite

(Ce) Concentrate from Skarn

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite

ndash

(REEYCa)5

(SiO4

PO4

)3

(OHF)

This mineral has the potential for occurring in ore quantities in skarn

associated with syenite

gneiss in Kipawa Quebec

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 23: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Allanite

(Ce) (CeCaY)2

(AlFe2+Fe3+)3

(SiO4

)3

(OH)

Allanite

is found in abundant quantities in many different geologic environments and in almost all cases is LREE dominant Low quantities of sumREE+Y relative to bastnaumlsite and its refractory nature diminish its value as an economic source for REE and Y

Allanite

ndash

Hydrothermal Mountain Pass CA Allanite

ndash

Pegmatite Timmins Ontario

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 24: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Eudialyte

and Mosandrite

in Peralkaline

Syenite

Kipawa Quebec

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 25: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Britholite-Rich Skarn

All brown prisms are britholite

(Horizontal Distance ndash 46 mm)

Britholite

Concentrate

(mm scale)

Britholite

ndash

(CeYCa)5 (SiO4PO4 )3 (OHF)

Kipawa Quebec

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 26: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Cathodoluminescence

Macrograph of Iimoriite

in Syenite

ndash

Bokan

Mountain

Mottled light blue and tan clusters -

Iimoriite

Red groundmass ndash

Feldspar

(Horizontal distance of rock slab ndash 46 mm)

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 27: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Iimoriite

(Y)

Y2 (SiO4 )(CO3 )

Yttrofluorite

(CaY)F2

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 28: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Iimoriite

Concentrate ndash

Bokan

MT (1 mm scale)

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 29: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Wicheeda

Lake Heavy Mineral Composite mdash

(from samples 828951 52 53)

These grains range in size between 02 and 05 mm The left micrograph consists of major monazite and parisite

and minor grains of pyrite Dolomite is also attached to some of these grains The right micrograph shows selective reflection of the green part of the visible spectrum under unfiltered shortwave UV examination This test is diagnostic for the identification of LREE minerals

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 30: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

As a final statement it should be emphasizedhellip

1) Carbonatites containing as much as 5 wt LREE must compete with Bayan Obo Maoniuping and Mountain Pass which have much higher grade and have established physical and chemical processing plants

2) Deposits that are mineralized with allanite and LREE-enriched apatite can not compete economically with carbonatites or peralkalic systems that have the high REE mineralogy

3) Naturally higher radioactivity in all REE systems makes them easier to find with airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometry

4) Uraniferous systems commonly have anomalous LREE amp HREE which has been recovered in some deposits ie rafinates from uranium mining

5) Although ion-adsorbed REE in clays from South China provide the bulk of HREE to the market place in other countries high costs for labor and necessary supplies power costs and environmental restrictions may render similar deposits uneconomical

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 31: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Rare Earth Elements

bull

Name something of a misnomerndash

Rarest REEs

are over 200 times more

abundant then gold

bull

Variation in distribution for two reasons ndash

Compatibility with common rock forming materials

ndash

CosmicCrustal abundances

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 32: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Crustal Abundances of Elements

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 33: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Occurrencebull

REEs

occur mostly as

substitutional

impurities in many rock forming minerals

bull

Only a few the REE minerals have sufficient quantities to be considered important sources

bull

Defined as minerals having at least one site that is filled by REEs

andor Yttrium more often then any other elementMonazite

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 34: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Rare Earth Minerals

bull

Form by primary crystalization

from magma or by hydrothermal reactions

bull

Found hosted in carbonate rocks in pegmatites

and as accessory minerals in

igneous rocks

bull

Stable REE minerals and can be concentrated in weathering zones

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 35: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

REE Mineralsbull

The most important REE minerals is bastnaumlsite

REE(CO3)F

bull

Other notable sources are ndash

Monazite REE(PO4) ndash

Xenotime

YPO4

bull

All may contain radioactive species such as thorium

and uraniumndash

are avoided as source materials

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 36: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Bastnesitebull

Bastnasite

[(REE)(CO3)F] is the worldrsquos most important source of rare earth elements

bull

Containing 60 to 70 rare earth oxides (REOs)

bull

REE site is most commonly filled by LREEs

and Y

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 37: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Other REE mineralsbull

Monazite [(LREEYTh)PO4] ndash

Contains about 50ndash78 rare earth oxides

ndash

Forms in heavy mineral sands placer deposits associated with beach environments

bull

Xenotime

[(YPO4)] ndash

Contains 54ndash65 rare earth oxides

ndash

Yttrium Erbium and Cerium most common ndash

Found in heavy mineral sands can also be a component in pegmatite and igneous rocks

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 38: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Electron Configuration

bull

The similarities in chemical and physical properties arise due to the grouprsquos common electron configuration

bull

REEs

have same outer electronic configuration (+3) they differ in their number of 4f electrons

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 39: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Electron Configuartion

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 40: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

REE Behaviorbull

Because of their shared behaviour REEs

tend to be

present in nature as a group All REEs

commonly substitute for one another in minerals

bull

Yet the REEs

are capable of showing great variation in their distributions

bull

Comes about due to ndash

Differences in ionic radius ndash

Crystal structure (Coordination Number)ndash

Basicity

of the mineral ndash

The elementrsquos solubility and ability to migrate in the environment ndash

Content of REEs

in source fluids

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 41: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Ionic Radiusbull

The ionic radius of the REEs

is inversely related to atomic number

bull

The heavy rare earths are smaller ndash

more similar to Mn2+ (ionic radius 008 nanometers)

bull

LREEs

are largerndash

more comparable in size to Ca2+ (ionic radius 01 nanometer)

bull

Charge balance achieved through some sites being left vacant or

by coupled substitution with lower charged mineral (Na+)

In nanometers

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 42: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Coordination Number

bull

Coordination number the number of atoms touching a particular atom in a crystal lattice

bull

Coordination number for this structure is 8

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 43: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Coordination Numberbull

The heavy and light REEs

differ in the coordination

numbers (CN) with oxygenndash

HREEs

have CN between six to nine ndash

LREEs

have higher CNs

bull

Minerals with high CNs

associated with REE site

will favor LREEsndash

Bastnasite

CN = 11 ndash

Monazite CN = 9

bull

Those with low CNs

will preferentially select HREEs ndash

Xenotime

has a value of 8

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 44: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Other Factorsbull

Minerals basicityndash

Alkalic

rocks host minerals with elevated LREE content ndash

Rocks with lower basicity

have lower amounts of LREEs

relative to their HREE content

bull

Solubilityndash

LREEs

are more soluble in water then the HREEsndash

Important characteristic for hydrothermally derived minerals

bull

MagmaHydrothermal fluid compositionndash

Minerals will take what they can get

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 45: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

REEs

and Economicsbull

The REEs

and Yttrium have a very broad range of applications mostly in high technology fields

bull

84 of Y acquired by the United States used in light and cathode ray tube phosphors The remainder was used in ceramics (7) electronics (7) and metallurgy (2)

bull

REEs

used primarily for automotive (25) petroleum (22) and metallurgic (20)

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 46: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

HREEs

and Magnetism

bull

HREEs

exhibit complex magnetic behaviour on account of electron structurendash

They share the same outer shell electron configuration (valence = +3)

ndash

Differ in number of 4f electrons

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 47: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Applications in Magnetismbull

Terbium and

Dysprosium

bull

Components of Terfenol-D

alloy

with the formula Tb(03) Dy(07) Fe(19)

bull

Has the higher magnetostriction

then any other alloyndash

expands and contracts in magnetic field

bull

Developed by American Navy for sonar

systems ndash

Now has applications in magnetomechanical

sensors and other electronic devices

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 48: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Applications in Magnetism

bull

Holmium

bull

Possesses the highest magnetic moment (106microB) of any of the naturally-occurring

elements

bull

Creates the strongest artificially generated magnetic fieldsndash

In research where strong magnetic fields are needed

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 49: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Dysprosium Homium Erbium

bull

High neutron

absorption cross-section ndash

Measure of probability of neutron capture

bull

Used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 50: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

HREEs

and Nuclear Technology

bull

Lutetiumbull

Radioactive isotope used in radiometric dating

bull

Thulium bull

Stable thulium used as a radiation

source

in portable X-ray

devices

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 51: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Mountain Passbull

Bastnasite

is the major REE mineral bull

High grade accessory mineral of igneous or hydrothermal originsbull

31 million tons of 886 by weight of rare earth oxides (REO) bull

Mining stopped in 1994 ndash

Thorium content of waste rock ndash

Availability of inexpensive REEs

from China

San Bernardino County

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 52: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Bayan

Obobull

The worldrsquos primary source for both yttrium and the rare earth elements

bull

37 million tons of ore bull

Main REE source there is Bastnasite

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 53: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

World Production

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 54: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Explorationbull

84 of REE imports to US are from China

bull

Increasing demand for high tech applications spurred increase in exploration in 2007

bull

Economic assessments of known deposits such as Canadian Thor Lake and Hoidas

Lake as well as in

Malawi Africa

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 55: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Environmental Considerations

bull

REE soil and food contaminationbull

Acid Mine Drainage and groundwater systems

bull

Radioactive elements

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 56: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

REE Fertilizerbull

In China REE enriched fertilizer has been used in crop fields since 1990

bull

At the turn of the century 50 to 100 million tons of REEs were being applied to an area of about 4 million hectares

every year

bull

Research and agricultural practice that provides evidence that REEs

will improve crop quality an yield

bull

The ramifications environmental and human exposure to REEs

are not well understood

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 57: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Investigation by T Liang et albull

Revealed that the average concentration of total REEs

in Chinese soil is

1768 mgkg ranging between 850 to 5227 mgkg

bull

In wheat grains the REE distribution as similar to that of the soil with a content about 3 or 4 orders of magnitude

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 58: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Implicationsbull

Human health effects not completely understood

bull

REE soil content shown to be detrimental to some plant speciesndash

100 of ryegrass specimens involved in the study that were reared with REE fertilizer showed poor development relative to the control group that was reared without elevated exposures to REEs

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 59: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)bull

Rain waters contacts waste rock facilitating acid forming reactions

bull

Increases the capacity of the water to leach potentially harmful elements from waste piles

bull

Process mobilizes established ecotoxins

(lead and mercury) as well as elements whose effects are less understood namely the rare earth elements

bull

Historically dismissed as minor environmental risk

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 60: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Radioactive Elements

bull

REEs

associated with uranium and thorium

bull

Bastnesite 32 thorium

bull

Monazite sands 6 to 12 thorium oxide

bull

Ores containing radioactive elements are avoided as sources of REEs

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 61: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Radioactive Hazardsbull

Mountain Pass

bull

Accidentsndash

In 1977 major pipeline break spilled over 2 million gallons of radioactive water

bull

Health Effectsndash

inflammatory bowel disease ndash

Prolonged seizures ndash

Cysts ndash

Cancers

bull

Waste Disposal ndash

Yucca Mountain

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
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  • Slide Number 33
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  • Slide Number 36
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  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 62: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Summarybull

REE concentrations in the crust are rare

bull

Several geochemical factors influencing distribution including ionic radius and coordination number

bull

Main REE minerals are bastnasite monazite and xenotime

bull

Most important deposits are found at Bayan

Obo China and Mountain Pass USA

bull

Important electronic and nuclear applications

bull

Environmental concerns associated with REE production and use are exposure to the environment and people liberation and water

system contamination though acid mine drainage association with

radioactive elements

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References
Page 63: Ranking Light to Heavy Rare Earth Deposits Worldwide

Referencesbull

E Orvini M Speziali A Salvini C Herborg ldquoRare earth elements determination in environmental matrices by INAArdquo Microchemical Journal 67 2000 97-104

bull

Tao Liang et al ldquoEnvironmental biogeochemical behaviors of rare earth elements in soi-plant systemsrdquo Environmental Geochemistry and health 27 2005 301-311

bull

G Protano and F Riccobono ldquoHigh contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream wates of a CU-Pb-Zn mining areardquo Environmental Pollution 117 2002 499-514

bull

B Lipin ldquoGeochemistry and mineralogy of rare earth elementsrdquo Mineralogical Association of America 1989bull

The Government of South Australia wwwpirsagovaubull

The US geological Survey Mineralsusgsgovbull

wwwelementsdatabasecombull

wwwastrolsaumichedu~cowleyintro2htmlbull

wwwjohnbetts-finemineralscomjhbnycgifs40129htmbull

webmineralcomdataMonazite-(Ce)shtmlbull

wwwnaturecomnaturejournalv446n7136absnature05668htmlbull

wwwstevegbcomimagesscienceorbital_fillingpngbull

wwwchemicalelementscomelementseuhtmlbull

boomeriaorgchemlecturestextass2table10-9jpgbull

lostcontentquakecomfiles200802holmiumpngbull

chinageocitylocatorcomcitiesChinaQinghaibull

geowebrudruzal-Bayan-Obohtmbull

enwikipediaorgwikiSan_Bernardino_County_Californiabull

wwwworldcountriesinfoMapsRegionEurope-450-Italyjpgbull

enwikipediaorgwikiMonazitebull

webmineralcomdataBastnasite-(La)shtmlbull

wwwgbrworgindexphpoption=com_contentampview=categoryamplayout=blogampid=58ampItemid=73bull

httpwwwavalonventurescombull

wwwnewsweekcomid43884bull

httpaccipiterhawk-conservancyorgMeadowMuses200608shtmlbull

httpwwwcsescitechacukabout_usFrontiers2007Hughes20-20Lanthanide20contraction20- 20CSE20Frontiers202007pdf

  • Slide Number 1
  • Slide Number 2
  • Slide Number 3
  • Slide Number 4
  • Slide Number 5
  • Slide Number 6
  • Slide Number 7
  • Slide Number 8
  • Slide Number 9
  • Slide Number 10
  • Slide Number 11
  • Slide Number 12
  • Slide Number 13
  • Slide Number 14
  • Slide Number 15
  • Slide Number 16
  • Slide Number 17
  • Slide Number 18
  • Slide Number 19
  • Slide Number 20
  • Slide Number 21
  • Slide Number 22
  • Slide Number 23
  • Slide Number 24
  • Slide Number 25
  • Slide Number 26
  • Slide Number 27
  • Slide Number 28
  • Slide Number 29
  • Slide Number 30
  • Slide Number 31
  • Slide Number 32
  • Slide Number 33
  • Slide Number 34
  • Slide Number 35
  • Slide Number 36
  • Slide Number 37
  • Slide Number 38
  • Slide Number 39
  • Slide Number 40
  • Slide Number 41
  • Slide Number 42
  • Slide Number 43
  • Slide Number 44
  • Slide Number 45
  • Slide Number 46
  • Slide Number 47
  • Slide Number 48
  • Slide Number 49
  • Slide Number 50
  • Slide Number 51
  • Rare Earth Elements
  • Crustal Abundances of Elements
  • Occurrence
  • Rare Earth Minerals
  • REE Minerals
  • Bastnesite
  • Other REE minerals
  • Electron Configuration
  • Electron Configuartion
  • REE Behavior
  • Ionic Radius
  • Coordination Number
  • Coordination Number
  • Other Factors
  • REEs and Economics
  • HREEs and Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • Applications in Magnetism
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • HREEs and Nuclear Technology
  • Mountain Pass
  • Bayan Obo
  • World Production
  • Exploration
  • Environmental Considerations
  • REE Fertilizer
  • Investigation by T Liang et al
  • Implications
  • Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
  • Radioactive Elements
  • Radioactive Hazards
  • Summary
  • References