Weathering of carbonatite REE deposits (WREED): a critical stage in generation of critical metal resources.

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The rare earth elements (REE) are classified as critical metals because they are essential for renewable energy technology such as wind turbines, and for the development of electric motors for low carbon transport. Current government policies in the UK and globally are driving an expansion in use of these technologies, but the supply of the metals needed is currently limited and the increase in use cannot be met from exisiting raw material sources or recycling. There is therefore a need to investigate the formation of mineral resources for these metals, to determine the potential for new resources, and to improve efficiency and minimise environment impact in their extraction. Currently the REE are mainly extracted and processed in China, and the Universities of Brighton and Exeter currently have research links with Peking Univeristy in this area. This project aims to build and expand this research network, primarily by developing a new collaboration with the State Key Laboratory for Geological Processes and Mineral resources in Wuhan, and then by running workshops involving researchers from China and the rest of world, to define key research problems in the area, and build an international team to address them. A primary focus of the parternship will be to study processes of enrichment and separation of the REE during weathering of carbonatites (igneous carbonatite rocks). Current global REE supply is met from unweathered bedrock deposits in carbonatites, or from weather grantic rocks (sometimes called ion adsorption deposits). However, weathered carbonatites have some of the highest concentrations of the REE, and preliminary data from the Lizhuan carbonatite in China suggest that they may combine characteristics of carbonatite and ion adsorption deposits. This means there may be potential for developing lower environmental imapct (energy cost) ways of extracting the REE from these deposits. The project will study the mineralogy and geochemistry of these deposits, and use the data collected as the basis for setting up new international projects to further develop research on REE resources.