Adsorption of rare earth elements in regolith-hosted clay deposits

Anouk Margaretha Borst; Martin P. Smith; Adrian A. Finch; Guillaume Estrade; Cristina Villanova-de-Benavent; Peter Nason; Eva Marquis; Nicola J. Horsburgh; Kathryn M. Goodenough; Cheng Xu; Jindřich Kynický; Kalotina Geraki

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17801-5

Adsorption of rare earth elements in regolith-hosted clay deposits

Anouk Margaretha Borst, Martin P. Smith, Adrian A. Finch, Guillaume Estrade, Cristina Villanova-de-Benavent, Peter Nason, Eva Marquis, Nicola J. Horsburgh, Kathryn M. Goodenough, Cheng Xu, Jindřich Kynický, Kalotina Geraki

School of Earth & Environmental Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Global resources of heavy Rare Earth Elements (REE) are dominantly sourced from Chinese regolith-hosted ion-adsorption deposits in which the REE are inferred to be weakly adsorbed onto clay minerals. Similar deposits elsewhere might provide alternative supply for these high-tech metals, but the adsorption mechanisms remain unclear and the adsorbed state of REE to clays has never been demonstrated in situ. This study compares the mineralogy and speciation of REE in economic weathering profiles from China to prospective regoliths developed on peralkaline rocks from Madagascar. We use synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy to study the distribution and local bonding environment of Y and Nd, as proxies for heavy and light REE, in the deposits. Our results show that REE are truly adsorbed as easily leachable 8- to 9-coordinated outer-sphere hydrated complexes, dominantly onto kaolinite. Hence, at the atomic level, the Malagasy clays are genuine mineralogical analogues to those currently exploited in China.

Original language	English
Article number	4386
Number of pages	15
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17801-5
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2020

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Final published version, 4.51 MBLicence: CC BY

Security of Supply of Rare Earth Element: SoS RARE - Security of Supply of Rare Earth Elements
Finch, A. A. (PI)
NERC
1/05/15 → 31/12/19
Project: Standard

Adrian Anthony Finch
- aaf1st-andrews.acuk
Person: Academic

Coordination State of Metals in Mineral Systems
Borst, A. M. (Creator), Finch, A. A. (Creator), Friis, H. (Creator), Horsburgh, N. (Creator), Gamaletsos, P. (Creator), Goettlicher, J. (Creator), Steininger, R. (Creator), Geraki, K. (Creator), Smith, M. P. (Creator), Estrade, G. (Creator), Villanova-de-Benavent, C. (Creator), Nason, P. (Creator), Marquis, E. (Creator), Goodenough, K. M. (Creator), Xu, C. (Creator) & Kynicky, J. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 10 Aug 2020
DOI: 10.17630/73e556f7-0fc3-4814-b25c-fa747ceb72a2
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title = "Adsorption of rare earth elements in regolith-hosted clay deposits",

abstract = "Global resources of heavy Rare Earth Elements (REE) are dominantly sourced from Chinese regolith-hosted ion-adsorption deposits in which the REE are inferred to be weakly adsorbed onto clay minerals. Similar deposits elsewhere might provide alternative supply for these high-tech metals, but the adsorption mechanisms remain unclear and the adsorbed state of REE to clays has never been demonstrated in situ. This study compares the mineralogy and speciation of REE in economic weathering profiles from China to prospective regoliths developed on peralkaline rocks from Madagascar. We use synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy to study the distribution and local bonding environment of Y and Nd, as proxies for heavy and light REE, in the deposits. Our results show that REE are truly adsorbed as easily leachable 8- to 9-coordinated outer-sphere hydrated complexes, dominantly onto kaolinite. Hence, at the atomic level, the Malagasy clays are genuine mineralogical analogues to those currently exploited in China. ",

author = "Borst, {Anouk Margaretha} and Smith, {Martin P.} and Finch, {Adrian A.} and Guillaume Estrade and Cristina Villanova-de-Benavent and Peter Nason and Eva Marquis and Horsburgh, {Nicola J.} and Goodenough, {Kathryn M.} and Cheng Xu and Jind{\v r}ich Kynick{\'y} and Kalotina Geraki",

note = "Funding: UK NERC SOSRARE consortium, grant numbers NE/M010856/1 (to AMB, AAF and NJH), NE/M011267/1 (to MS, GE, PN, CVdB and EM) and NE/M01116X/1 (to KMG). JK was supported by The Czech Science Foundation GACR EXPRO (grant number 19-29124X). Diamond Light Source I18 beam time awards (grant numbers SP14793 and SP15903). ",

year = "2020",

month = sep,

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-020-17801-5",

language = "English",

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journal = "Nature Communications",

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AU - Borst, Anouk Margaretha

AU - Smith, Martin P.

AU - Finch, Adrian A.

AU - Estrade, Guillaume

AU - Villanova-de-Benavent, Cristina

AU - Nason, Peter

AU - Marquis, Eva

AU - Horsburgh, Nicola J.

AU - Goodenough, Kathryn M.

AU - Xu, Cheng

AU - Kynický, Jindřich

AU - Geraki, Kalotina

N1 - Funding: UK NERC SOSRARE consortium, grant numbers NE/M010856/1 (to AMB, AAF and NJH), NE/M011267/1 (to MS, GE, PN, CVdB and EM) and NE/M01116X/1 (to KMG). JK was supported by The Czech Science Foundation GACR EXPRO (grant number 19-29124X). Diamond Light Source I18 beam time awards (grant numbers SP14793 and SP15903).

PY - 2020/9/1

Y1 - 2020/9/1

N2 - Global resources of heavy Rare Earth Elements (REE) are dominantly sourced from Chinese regolith-hosted ion-adsorption deposits in which the REE are inferred to be weakly adsorbed onto clay minerals. Similar deposits elsewhere might provide alternative supply for these high-tech metals, but the adsorption mechanisms remain unclear and the adsorbed state of REE to clays has never been demonstrated in situ. This study compares the mineralogy and speciation of REE in economic weathering profiles from China to prospective regoliths developed on peralkaline rocks from Madagascar. We use synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy to study the distribution and local bonding environment of Y and Nd, as proxies for heavy and light REE, in the deposits. Our results show that REE are truly adsorbed as easily leachable 8- to 9-coordinated outer-sphere hydrated complexes, dominantly onto kaolinite. Hence, at the atomic level, the Malagasy clays are genuine mineralogical analogues to those currently exploited in China.

AB - Global resources of heavy Rare Earth Elements (REE) are dominantly sourced from Chinese regolith-hosted ion-adsorption deposits in which the REE are inferred to be weakly adsorbed onto clay minerals. Similar deposits elsewhere might provide alternative supply for these high-tech metals, but the adsorption mechanisms remain unclear and the adsorbed state of REE to clays has never been demonstrated in situ. This study compares the mineralogy and speciation of REE in economic weathering profiles from China to prospective regoliths developed on peralkaline rocks from Madagascar. We use synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy to study the distribution and local bonding environment of Y and Nd, as proxies for heavy and light REE, in the deposits. Our results show that REE are truly adsorbed as easily leachable 8- to 9-coordinated outer-sphere hydrated complexes, dominantly onto kaolinite. Hence, at the atomic level, the Malagasy clays are genuine mineralogical analogues to those currently exploited in China.

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DO - 10.1038/s41467-020-17801-5

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SN - 2041-1723

VL - 11

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 4386

ER -

Adsorption of rare earth elements in regolith-hosted clay deposits

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Security of Supply of Rare Earth Element: SoS RARE - Security of Supply of Rare Earth Elements

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Adrian Anthony Finch

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Coordination State of Metals in Mineral Systems

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