Review of rare earth element (REE) adsorption on and desorption from clay minerals: Application to formation and mining of ion-adsorption REE deposits

• DOI: 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2023.105446
• Publication Date: 2023-04-22T21:16:20Z
• Authors: Zhenxiao Wu; Yu Chen; Yang Wang; Yuan Xu; Zhuoling Lin; Xiaoliang Liang; Hongfei Cheng
• Keywords: Rare-earth element

Ion-adsorption rare earth elements (iREE) deposits are the globally predominant source of heavy (HREE), which mainly discovered and mined in southern China. This paper reviews genesis mining mechanisms iREE deposits. These formed weathering crust (REE)-rich granites, volcanic rocks metamorphic rocks. During eluviation, REE released by dissolution REE-bearing minerals, depending on resistance such minerals. Then, aqueous cations migrate downwards adsorbed clay The adsorption fractionation affected variations oxygen, pH ionic species strength. minerals through ion exchange surface complexation. former reaction cannot cause evident fractionation, whereas latter induces an enrichment HREE over LREE. characteristics also constrained their occurrence states. with different states can be distinguished via sequential extraction, micro-occurrence probed using high-sensitivity, high-resolution characterisation. Furthermore, leaching mechanism is summarized, where exchanged foreign cations. Ammonium sulphate main agent, but its excessive use serious environmental pollution. Thus, agents little or no ammonium, as MgSO4 CaCl2, have been recommended. controlling factors concentration agents, pH, temperature solid/liquid ratio. above summary deepens understanding formation provides beneficial information for efficient green