Latest Scenario in Rare Earth and Atomic Minerals in India Dr. R. N. Patra Chairman & Managing Director Indian Rare Earths Limited Mumbai 022 24225778 +91 9869272093 [email protected] Website: www.irel.gov.in 1 Presentation Summary Introduction to Rare Earth (RE) RE-Global scenario Indian Context & Role of Indian Rare Earths Limited Monazite Processing & Rare Earth Production Strategic significance from the view point of its usage and nation’s growth 2 Major Minerals of RE of Commercial importance Chemical Countries of Minerals formula origin Remark Carbonate Processing relatively simpler than Monazite. It has larger content of USA, China & (Ce,La) FCO Europium compared to Monazite. In Bastnaesite 3 Australia China it is associated with iron ore mining. Phosphate RE content more or less uniform around Australia, India, 60% and minerals available in placer (Ce,La,Th & U) PO Malaysia, Brazil, Monazite 4 beach sand resources. The ore contains Thailand & Korea Th & Uranium which are radioactive Malaysia, India, Yttrium major constituent. In Malaysia YPO Xenotime 4 China production is associated with Tin mining Apatite (CaRE)5[(PSi)O4]3(O,F) CIS, South Africa Occurs in Copper, Tin, Phosphate mining Ion Weathered apatite & Unique deposits found only in southern xenotime ore China. Though lowest in rare earth China exchange concentrated in the soil contents easiest to concentrate from the clay in ionic form ore. Rich source of Y, Eu, Tb & Dy Major Minerals of RE of Commercial importance Main Countries of Minerals Chemical formula origin Remark Oxides (Ce,La,Ca,Na) Loparite CIS Contents above 40% Titania (TiNb)2 O6 Source of Scandium & (Y,Ce, Ca,U,Th) Euxenite USA Yttrium. Recovered as by (Nb,Ta,Ti) O 2 6 product from Bastnaesite Sillicate Source of Yttrium. Gadolinite Be2FeY2Si2O10 USA Recovered as by product from Bastnaesite In addition rare earths are also produced as a by product of uranium recovery from its ores in Canada. RE contents of major source minerals (%) Light rare earths minerals Heavy rare earths minerals Rare Earths Monazite Bastnasite Xenotime Ion exchange clay* as oxide (Ce,La,Th & U) PO4 (Ce,La) FCO3 YPO4 India Australia, USA China, USA Malaysia China China China Lanthanum 22 17.4 - 27.6 23.0 - 35.0 0.5 - 1.4 1.8 - 43.4 Cerium 46 42.7 - 51.1 49.0 - 51.7 1.75 - 5.0 0.37 - 7.2 Praseodymium 5.5 4.1 - 5.4 3.7 - 6.2 0.47 - 0.7 0.02 - 7.4 Neodymium 20 14.6 - 18.7 9.5 - 18.5 1.59 - 3.5 3.0 - 31.6 Samarium 2.5 1.0 - 4.9 0.45 - 1.25 1.1 - 2.2 2.3 - 6.3 Europium 0.015 0.04 - 0.8 0.05 - 0.25 0.01 - 0.2 0.12 - 0.83 Gadolinium 1.2 0.5 - 6.6 0.16 - 0.7 3.4 - 5.0 3.0 - 6.8 Terbium 0.06 Trace - 0.7 0.01 - 0.1 0.9 - 1.2 trace - 1.29 Dysprosium 0.18 0.2 - 0.9 0.03 - 0.13 8.3 - 9.1 trace - 7.5 Holmium 0.02 Trace - 0.12 Trace - 0.05 1.98 - 2.6 trace - 1.64 Erbium 0.01 Trace - 0.3 Trace - 0.07 5.4 - 7.0 trace - 4.85 Thulium Nil Trace - 0.03 Trace - 0.0009 0.9 - 1.3 trace - 0.7 Ytterbium Nil 0.11 - 2.4 Trace - 0.0006 5.9 - 6.8 0.26 - 3.3 Lutetium Nil trace - 0.14 Trace - 0.0001 0.4 - 1.8 0.1 - 0.47 Yttrium 0.45 0.19 - 3.2 0.09 - 0.76 59.3 - 80.0 8.0 - 65.0 RE-Major end uses Rare Earth Occurrences RE Mines in Operation Greenland Russia China Canada USA Vietnam India Malaysia Brazil Australia South Africa Malawi Major Mines in operation BASTNAESITE APATITE Baiyun Obo & Sichuan, China; Nangang, Guangdong, China; Mt Pass, USA; Nolans Bore, Australia; Dong Pao, Vietnam; Hoidas Lake, Canada. Dubbo Trachyte, Australia. MONAZITE EUDIALYTE India; Zeus, Canada; Guangdong, China; Steenstrupine, Greenland. Mount Weld, Australia; Kangankunde, Malawi Zandkopsdrift, SA Steenkampskaal, SA. LOPARITE Lovozersky, Russia XENOTIME Ptinga, Brazil; Lahat Perak, Malaysia; FERGUSONITE Guandong, China Nechalacho, Canada. RE - World Production & Reserves Select RE projects outside China S.no Company Country Proposed REO Capacity 1 Lynas Corp Malaysia 22,000 2 Molycorp Minerals USA 20,000 3 Indian Rare Earths Limited India 5,000 4 Great Western Minerals South Africa 2,500 5 Alkane Resources Australia 2,600 6 Vietnamese Gov/Toyata Tsusho/Sojitz Vietnam 3000 – 5,000 7 Arafura Resources Australia 20,000 8 Avalon Rare Metals Canada 5,000 9 Kazatomprom/Sumitomo Kazakhstan 15,000 10 Stans Energy Kyrgyzstan 2,000 11 Minerals and Energy Greenland 43,700 12 Rare Element Resources USA - 13 Resources Canada - 14 Quest Rare Metals Canada - 15 Ucore Uranium USA - 16 US Rare Earths USA - 17 Matamec Explorations Canada 18 Etruscan Resources Namibia - 19 Montero Mining Tanzania - 20 Tasman Metals Sweden & Finland 21 Neo Material Technologies/ Mitsubishi Brazil - Total 1,38,800 – 1,42,800 11 Indian Context & Role of Indian Rare Earths Limited Indian source of RE Monazite composition Composition % REEs as Re2O3 59.37 P2O5 27.03 ThO2 8.88 U3O8 0.35 CaO 1.24 SiO2 1.0 MgO 0.63 Fe2O3 0.32 Al2O3 0.12 PbO 0.18 TiO2 0.36 ZrO2 0.49 Monazite is rich in LRE and lacks HRE Properties of Monazite • Color: Honey Yellow to Golden Yellow. Also Pale Yellow. • Sp. Gravity: 4.6 - 5.47. Theoretically, higher Th content results in higher Sp. Gr. • Shape: Subhedral to rounded grains • Hardness: 5 to 5.5 on the Moh’s scale • Crystal: Monoclinic, brittle with conchoidal or uneven fractures • Magnetism: High magnetic susceptibility derived from para magnetism of R.E. • R.E. & Th.: Typically 60% predominantly light R.E. ThO2 varies 4.0 -8.5%. 15 Prescribed Substances Gazette notification S.O. 61 (E) dated 20.01.2006 under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 stipulates the prescribed substances, which are as follows: Source Material – Uranium containing the mixture of isotopes and Uranium depleted in the isotope 235, – Thorium – Any other material containing one or more of the foregoing Special Fissionable Material – Plutonium 239 – Uranium 233 & Uranium enriched in the isotopes 235 or 233 – Neptunium – Any material containing one or more of the foregoing. Other Material (Non-nuclear materials for reactors, nuclear related dual – use materials, etc) – Deuterium, Heavy water – Nuclear grade graphite/ carbon – Zirconium, Berillium, Lithium, Hafnium, Niobium & Tantalum – Titanium Alloys – Tritium and its compounds – Radium 226, Boron, Helium-3 – Alpha emitting radionuclides Associated Minerals (i) Apatite, Beryl, Cassiterite, Columbite, Emerald, Felspar, Lepidolite, Mica, Pitchblende, Quartz, samarskite. Scheelite, Topaz, Tantalite, Tourmaline. (ii) Iron, Manganese, Titanium, Vanadium and Nickel minerals. (iii) Lead, Zinc, Copper, Cadmium, Arsenic, Antimony, Bismuth, Cobalt, Nickel, Molybdenum and Uranium minerals, and Gold and Silver, Arsenopyrite, Chalcopyrite Pyrite, Pyrrhotite and Pentlandite. (iv) Chromium, Osmiridium, Platinum and Nickel minerals. (v) Kyanite, Sillimanite, Corundum, Dumortierite and Topaz (vi) Gold, Silver, Tellurium, Selenium and Pyrite.. (vii) Barytes, Fluorite, Chalcocite, Selenium and minerals of Zinc, Lead and Silver. (viii) Tin and Tungsten minerals. (ix) Limestone, Dolomite and Magnesite. (x) Ilmenite, Monazite, Zircon, Rutile, [Leucoxene], Garnet and Sillimanite. (Beach Sand Minerals) (xi) Sulphides of copper and iron. (xii) Coal, Fireclay and Shale. (xiii) Magnetite and Apatite. (xiv) Magnesite and Chromite. (xv) Talc, Soapstone and Steatite and Dolomite. (xvi)Celesite, Phosphatic Nodules, Clay and Gypsum. Beach Sand Minerals MINERAL COMPOSITION PROPERTIES Ilmenite Magnetic & Conducting (50-60% TiO2) Leucoxene Oxide of titanium & iron. Medium Magnetic & (75-82% TiO2) Sp. Gr.:4.2-4.6 Conducting Rutile Non Magnetic & (> 92% TiO2) Conducting Zircon Zirconium Sillicate Non Magnetic & Non (64-66% ZrO2) Sp. Gr.:4.7 Conducting Phosphate of Rare earths & Monazite Low Magnetic & Non Thorium (58% RE O 9% ThO & 27% P O ) Conducting 2 3, 2 2 5 Sp. Gr.:5.2 Sillimanite Aluminium Silicate Non Magnetic & Non (56-58% Al2O3) Sp. Gr.:3.2 Conducting Garnet Iron Aluminium Silicate Medium Magnetic & Non (43% FeO, 21% Al2O3, 36% SiO2) Sp. Gr.:4.1 Conducting Indian Reserves of Beach Sand Minerals (Million Tons) MINERALS RESERVES Ilmenite 593 Sillimanite 226 Garnet 168 Zircon 34 Rutile 31 Monazite 12 Total 1065 Source : Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration & Research, Hyderabad Oct 2012 19 Mineral Occurrence 20 Three Stage Indian Nuclear Power Programme 21 Beach sand minerals processing • Indian monazite discovered in 1908 • White titanium pigment production in 1909 st • Zircon as substitute of SnO2 post 1 world war • Atomic Energy Commission formed in 1948 • Export of monazite banned due to its thorium content • Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) registered in 1950 • Monazite processing plant at IREL commissioned in 1952 in Aluva 22 IREL Units HEAD OFFICE, Mumbai RARE EARTHS DIV, Kerala MINERAL DIVISION, Kerala IRERC, Kerala MINERAL DIVISION, Tamil Nadu OSCOM, Odisha 23 Sustainable Environment Friendly Dredge Mining DREDGING IN PROGRESS SIMULTANEOUS BACKFILLING ACTIVITY 24 Sustainable Environment Friendly Dredge Mining Mined out area before Plantation Mined out area after Plantation Land preparation for plantation 25 Mineral Separation Process Beach Washing /Dredging Heavies Upgrading Plant Mineral Separation Plant High Tension Separator Conducting Ilmenite, Rutile Garnet, Monazite, Zircon, Sillimanite Magnetic Low Intensity Magnetic Separator Magnetic Separator Magnetic Non- Garnet Monazite, Zircon, Sillimanite Ilmenite magnetic Rutile Magnetic Non-magnetic Monazite Zircon, Sillimanite Dry/Wet Gravity separator Zircon Tailing Sillimanite Froth Flotation 26 Monazite Processing Monazite Processing MONAZITE CONC.H2SO4 CAUSTIC SODA 180oC 160oC TH. RE SO4 & H3PO4 WATER DISSOLUTION WATER DISSOLUTION TRISODIUM PHOSPHATE SUCCESSIVE RE.TH.OXIDE CAKE PRECIPITATION CONC.HCL LEACHING RE COMPOUND RE CHLORIDE TH.PHOSPHATE TH.CONCENTRATE DIL.ACIDIC SOLUTION OF PO4, SO4, RE & TH.