@article{10272/23243,
year = {2022},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10272/23243},
abstract = {The Phalaborwa (Palabora) Igneous Complex (PIC), South Africa, has been mined for the last six decades for copper and phosphate, among others commodities. As a result, more than 4500 Mt. of mining wastes have been deposited in waste rock dumps (WRDs) and tailing impoundments. This study aims to investigate the potential of the PIC wastes (WRDs and tailings) as a secondary resource of rare earth elements (REE) and its possible processing options, by means of both mineralogical and geochemical determinations, using X-ray diffraction (XRD), petrographic and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) and electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). The samples were also submitted to a REE leachability assay based in a sequential extraction procedure. Phoscorites and carbonatites are major lithologies in the WRDs and contain a notable concentration of REE, of which 0.2 and 0.1 wt%, respectively, would be easily extractable. The mineralogical results show monazite as the main REE-mineral (∑REE 60 wt%), while fluorapatite and calcite are the most important REE-bearing minerals (∑REE 1 and 0.5 wt%, respectively) for their abundance. On the other hand, the tailings are comprised mostly by monomineralic particles of calcite, dolomite, pyroxene, fluorapatite, magnetite and phlogopite. Based on the geochemical results, the extraction of REE from monazite, fluorapatite, calcite and dolomite, from tailings produced by both the Cu and the phosphate mines, might produce up to 5.65 and 1.75 kg of REE per ton, respectively. Therefore, tailings from PIC have the potential to become an asset. An approach to circular economy by re-processing mining wastes would extend the lifetime of the PIC mines and their benefits, while reducing the waste of resources and their environmental impact.},
organization = {The authors thank the staff of Palabora Mining Company and Foskor for their assistance with the sampling, as well as to the reviewers for their thoughtful comments and efforts towards improving this manuscript. This research was conducted under the ERAMIN project AMDREY -PCIN2015-242-256, financially supported by the Department of Science and Innovation, South Africa. It was also partially financed by: project MOS (grant number CGL2016-79204-R), which is supported by the Spanish Government, CORFO and Codelco (project CORFO-16PTECME-66524), project CONICYT/PIA Project AFB180004, UNESCO (UNESCO-IUGS-IGCP-Project 682), Science Foundation Ireland (grant number 18/IF/6347), SABDI/TIA project 16/1070, Technology and inovation agency, South Africa (project SABDI-16/1070) and National Agency for Research and Development (Project FONDEQUIP EQM170141).},
publisher = {Elsevier},
title = {Mine waste from carbonatite deposits as potential rare earth resource: insight into Phalaborwa (Palabora) Complex},
doi = {10.1016/j.gexplo.2021.106884},
author = {Gómez Arias, Alba and Yesares Ortiz, María Dolores and Díaz, Joaquín and Caraballo Monge, Manuel Antonio and Maleke, Maleke and Sáez Ramos, Reinaldo and Heerden, Esta van and Vermeulen, Danie and Nieto Liñán, José Miguel and Castillo Hernández, Julio Cesar},
}