Apatite-rich zones in the Uppermost Upper Zone, Northern Limb, Bushveld Complex: Possible non-conventional source of REE and TiO2

IF 3.4 2区 地球科学 Q1 GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS Journal of Geochemical Exploration Pub Date : 2024-05-07 DOI:10.1016/j.gexplo.2024.107498
Hakundwi Mandende , Themba Mothupi
{"title":"Apatite-rich zones in the Uppermost Upper Zone, Northern Limb, Bushveld Complex: Possible non-conventional source of REE and TiO2","authors":"Hakundwi Mandende ,&nbsp;Themba Mothupi","doi":"10.1016/j.gexplo.2024.107498","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The uppermost Upper Zone of the Bushveld Complex is known as a potential host of significant apatite-ilmenite resources. Recent exploration studies have delineated two apatite-rich zones representing a huge potential resource of phosphate. A detailed mineralogical and geochemical study of the two apatite-rich zones is undertaken to demonstrate that in addition to phosphate, apatite and ilmenite could be important saleable by-products for REE and Ti. In the Lower Apatite Zone (LAZ), the average concentrations of apatite, ilmenite, and titano-magnetite are 11%, 6%, and 18%, respectively. Grades of about 30 wt% combined apatite, ilmenite, and titano-magnetite can be recovered from the Upper Apatite Zone (UAZ), of which apatite and granular ilmenite constitute 9 and 10%, respectively. There is an association between diamagnetic (apatite), paramagnetic (mostly silicates and ilmenite), ferromagnetic (titano-magnetite) minerals and, to a lesser extent, sulphides. In addition, the majority of the targeted minerals; apatite, ilmenite, and titano-magnetite are relatively coarse, with a median value ranging between 270 μm and 931 μm. In-situ trace element data obtained on apatite demonstrate an increase in Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE) stratigraphically, grading from an average of 3180 ppm Total Rare Earth Elements (TREE+Y) in the LAZ to an average of 4068 ppm TREE+Y in the UAZ, indicating a sub-economic potential of REE that may be economically viable as by-product to phosphate. Preliminary resource estimations show that ~1,405,560 t and ~1,798,056 t of TREE can be exploited from the LAZ and UAZ, respectively. The discrete ilmenite grains are an attractive additional by-product considering their higher average &gt;50% TiO<sub>2</sub> and lower concentration of impurities such as &lt;1.06% MgO, &lt;1.21% MnO, &lt;0.08% Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, &lt;0.02% V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> and &lt;0.01% Cr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>. These results suggest that apatite-rich layers in mafic layered intrusions are viable prospects for economic extraction of REE in conjunction with titanium as other by-products that can be recovered from phosphate rocks.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16336,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geochemical Exploration","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Geochemical Exploration","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0375674224001146","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

The uppermost Upper Zone of the Bushveld Complex is known as a potential host of significant apatite-ilmenite resources. Recent exploration studies have delineated two apatite-rich zones representing a huge potential resource of phosphate. A detailed mineralogical and geochemical study of the two apatite-rich zones is undertaken to demonstrate that in addition to phosphate, apatite and ilmenite could be important saleable by-products for REE and Ti. In the Lower Apatite Zone (LAZ), the average concentrations of apatite, ilmenite, and titano-magnetite are 11%, 6%, and 18%, respectively. Grades of about 30 wt% combined apatite, ilmenite, and titano-magnetite can be recovered from the Upper Apatite Zone (UAZ), of which apatite and granular ilmenite constitute 9 and 10%, respectively. There is an association between diamagnetic (apatite), paramagnetic (mostly silicates and ilmenite), ferromagnetic (titano-magnetite) minerals and, to a lesser extent, sulphides. In addition, the majority of the targeted minerals; apatite, ilmenite, and titano-magnetite are relatively coarse, with a median value ranging between 270 μm and 931 μm. In-situ trace element data obtained on apatite demonstrate an increase in Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE) stratigraphically, grading from an average of 3180 ppm Total Rare Earth Elements (TREE+Y) in the LAZ to an average of 4068 ppm TREE+Y in the UAZ, indicating a sub-economic potential of REE that may be economically viable as by-product to phosphate. Preliminary resource estimations show that ~1,405,560 t and ~1,798,056 t of TREE can be exploited from the LAZ and UAZ, respectively. The discrete ilmenite grains are an attractive additional by-product considering their higher average >50% TiO2 and lower concentration of impurities such as <1.06% MgO, <1.21% MnO, <0.08% Al2O3, <0.02% V2O5 and <0.01% Cr2O3. These results suggest that apatite-rich layers in mafic layered intrusions are viable prospects for economic extraction of REE in conjunction with titanium as other by-products that can be recovered from phosphate rocks.

查看原文
分享 分享
微信好友 朋友圈 QQ好友 复制链接
本刊更多论文
布什维尔德复合体北缘最上层上区的磷灰石富集区:REE 和 TiO2 的可能非常规来源
众所周知,布什维尔德复合体最上层的上区可能蕴藏着大量磷灰石-钛铁矿资源。最近的勘探研究划定了两个富含磷灰石的区域,代表着巨大的潜在磷酸盐资源。我们对这两个磷灰石富集区进行了详细的矿物学和地球化学研究,以证明除了磷酸盐之外,磷灰石和钛铁矿也可能是重要的可销售副产品,其中含有 REE 和 Ti。在下磷灰石区(LAZ),磷灰石、钛铁矿和钛磁铁矿的平均浓度分别为 11%、6% 和 18%。在上磷灰石带(UAZ)中,磷灰石、钛铁矿和钛磁铁矿的综合品位约为 30%,其中磷灰石和粒状钛铁矿分别占 9%和 10%。二磁性(磷灰石)、顺磁性(主要是硅酸盐和钛铁矿)、铁磁性(钛磁铁矿)矿物之间存在关联,硫化物的关联也较小。此外,大部分目标矿物(磷灰石、钛铁矿和钛磁铁矿)相对较粗,中值介于 270 μm 和 931 μm 之间。在磷灰石上获得的原位痕量元素数据显示,轻稀土元素(LREE)在地层上有所增加,从 LAZ 的平均百万分之 3180 的总稀土元素(TREE+Y)到 UAZ 的平均百万分之 4068 的总稀土元素(TREE+Y)。初步资源估算显示,LAZ 和 UAZ 可分别开采约 1,405,560 吨和约 1,798,056 吨 TREE。考虑到离散钛铁矿晶粒具有较高的平均 50% TiO2 含量和较低的杂质浓度(如 1.06% MgO、1.21% MnO、0.08% Al2O3、0.02% V2O5 和 0.01% Cr2O3),因此是一种极具吸引力的额外副产品。这些结果表明,在岩浆岩层状侵入体中富含磷灰石的地层是经济提取 REE 的可行前景,同时还可以从磷酸盐岩中提取钛作为其他副产品。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 去求助
来源期刊
Journal of Geochemical Exploration
Journal of Geochemical Exploration 地学-地球化学与地球物理
CiteScore
7.40
自引率
7.70%
发文量
148
审稿时长
8.1 months
期刊介绍: Journal of Geochemical Exploration is mostly dedicated to publication of original studies in exploration and environmental geochemistry and related topics. Contributions considered of prevalent interest for the journal include researches based on the application of innovative methods to: define the genesis and the evolution of mineral deposits including transfer of elements in large-scale mineralized areas. analyze complex systems at the boundaries between bio-geochemistry, metal transport and mineral accumulation. evaluate effects of historical mining activities on the surface environment. trace pollutant sources and define their fate and transport models in the near-surface and surface environments involving solid, fluid and aerial matrices. assess and quantify natural and technogenic radioactivity in the environment. determine geochemical anomalies and set baseline reference values using compositional data analysis, multivariate statistics and geo-spatial analysis. assess the impacts of anthropogenic contamination on ecosystems and human health at local and regional scale to prioritize and classify risks through deterministic and stochastic approaches. Papers dedicated to the presentation of newly developed methods in analytical geochemistry to be applied in the field or in laboratory are also within the topics of interest for the journal.
期刊最新文献
Fluid inclusion LA-ICP-MS constraint on hydrothermal evolution of proximal cassiterite-bearing quartz veins in the giant Gejiu orefield: Implications for controls on metallogenic potential of granite-related skarn system REE-bearing phosphate mineral chemistry for iron sulfide‑copper‑gold exploration: A study at Jericho, NW Queensland, Australia Assessment of potentially toxic elements in some wild edible plants of district Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, India Advanced exploration of rare metal mineralization through integrated remote sensing and geophysical analysis of structurally-controlled hydrothermal alterations Characterization of pegmatites in the La Motte Batholith area, Preissac-La Corne Plutonic Suite, Abitibi Subprovince and its implications for exploration
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
现在去查看 取消
×
提示
确定
0
微信
客服QQ
Book学术公众号 扫码关注我们
反馈
×
意见反馈
请填写您的意见或建议
请填写您的手机或邮箱
已复制链接
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
×
扫码分享
扫码分享
Book学术官方微信
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术
文献互助 智能选刊 最新文献 互助须知 联系我们:info@booksci.cn
Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。
Copyright © 2023 Book学术 All rights reserved.
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号 京ICP备2023020795号-1