Understanding genesis of HREE deposits through Experimental and Spectroscopic measurements and atomistic Simulations (REEXSS).

稀土元素（ree）或镧系元素（La-Lu）是一组广泛应用于从现代日常个人设备（如移动电话）到工业规模电子技术/绿色设施（如风力涡轮机）的元素。重稀土元素（hree, Gd-Lu）的需求量特别大，因为它们的浓度相对较低，但更广泛地用于电视荧光粉，激光器和计算机存储器。我们目前对稀土的地质产状/关联有了相当好的了解，但由于缺乏对稀土如何运输、浓缩和分馏（轻稀土和重稀土之间的分离）以及主矿物稳定性如何最终控制提取效率的了解，我们预测经济稀土矿床的能力和开发低成本提取技术的能力受到了阻碍。该项目将汇集一批经验丰富的核心地球科学家，他们从事流体-岩石相互作用（熔体、热液流体）的实验研究，与化学光谱学家、矿物物理学家和工业最终用户一起参与一项研究，重点解决与稀土的运输、浓度和分馏有关的关键问题。这将通过关注以下关键问题来实现：(i)我们为什么要进行稀土富集？通过进行具有挑战性但约束良好的实验，模拟不同流体与含稀土矿物、岩石和其他化合物的反应，我们将约束不同稀土元素的分配和形成。浓缩是如何发生的？通过对热液流体中稀土元素的吸收光谱测量来确定不同稀土元素的类型和稳定性，将限制富集过程。浓缩在哪里发生？通过对稳定的稀土矿相进行结构表征，以确定控制稀土矿产率的晶体学参数，并通过理论计算来预测哪些是与光谱测量相一致的稳定矿物结构，我们将确定富集发生的位置。一项范围界定研究（催化剂阶段），旨在建立一个研究联盟，该联盟将通过科学创新研讨会评估由初步数据收集和建模支持的最先进的科学，以完善关键问题，为该轮融资的主要阶段开发详细的应用程序。如果获得资助，主要研究阶段将提供新颖的实验、微观分析和光谱数据以及结构建模，这将大大提高我们了解经济上可开采的三稀土资源分布的能力。

The rare earth elements (REEs) or lanthanides (La-Lu) are a group of elements widely used in applications ranging from modern, everyday personal devices such as mobile phones to industrial scale e-tech/green facilities such as wind turbines. The heavy rare earth elements (HREEs, Gd-Lu)) are particularly in high demand as they occur in relatively low concentrations and yet are more widely used for TV phosphors, lasers and computer memories. We currently have a reasonably good understanding of the geological occurrences/associations of REEs but our ability to predict where economic HREE deposits occur and to develop low cost extraction technologies is hampered by lack of understanding of how REEs are transported, concentrated and fractionated (separation between light and heavy REE) as well as how host mineral stability ultimately controls extraction efficiency. This project will bring together a core group of experienced geoscientists grounded in experimental studies of fluid-rock interaction (melts, hydrothermal fluids) with chemical spectroscopists, mineral physicists and industry end-users to engage in a study focussed on addressing key questions relating to transport, concentration and fractionation of REEs. This will be achieved by focussing on the following key questions: (i) Why do we get REE enrichment? By conducting challenging but well constrained experiments simulating the reaction(s) of different fluids with REE-containing minerals, rocks and other compounds we will constrain partitioning and speciation of different REEs.(ii) How does enrichment occur? Enrichment processes will be constrained by conducting absorption spectroscopic measurements of REEs in hydrothermal fluids to determine types and stabilities of the different REE species.(iii) Where does enrichment occur? By carrying out structural characterisation of stable host REE mineral phases to determine crystallographic parameters that control REE occurrence and by performing theoretical calculations to predict which are the stable mineral structures consistent with spectroscopic measurements we will determine where enrichment occursThe work will be carried out in two phases: A scoping study (catalyst phase) designed to build a research consortium that, through Science Innovation Workshops will appraise state of the art science backed by preliminary data collection and modelling to refine key questions for the development of a detailed application to the main phase of the funding round. The main research phase, if awarded will deliver novel experimental, micro-analytical and spectroscopic data plus structural modelling which will enhance significantly our ability to understand the distribution of economically exploitable HREE resources.