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RE-Nb-Ta Mineralogical Investigations in China

ZHANG Pei-shan, TAO Ke-jie, YANG Zhu-ming   

  1. Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
  • Received:2000-06-20 Revised:2000-06-20 Online:2000-06-20 Published:2000-06-20

Abstract: Up to the present day more than one hundred RE-Nb-Ta mine ral species are known in China. Most of their properties, such as chemical compo sitions, physical and optical properties, X-ray diffraction data, occurrences a nd mineral associations, have been described in detail. Majority of these min erals are widespread and a few of them are less common or very rare. These phenomena reveal the special geological conditions and metallogeneses of RE, Nb -Ta in China. The main scientific achievements on RE, Nb-Ta mineralogy in Chin a are summarized as follows: Considerable amount of new mineral species of RE, Nb -Ta have been discovered, s uch as huanghoite, cebaite and zhonghuacerite of fluorocarbonates, ashanite, qit i anlingite and changbaiite of oxides, fergusonite-(Ce), fergusonite-(Nd), f ergu sonite-beta-(Ce), and fergusonite-beta-(Nd) of tantalo-niobates, aeschynite -(Nd), nioboaeschynite-(Ce) and nioboaeschynite-(Nd) of meta-titano-tantalo-niobat es, m onazite-(Nd) of phosphates, daqingshanite of phosphates-carbonates, hingganite , baotit e and saimaite of silicates. The morphotropic series of rare earths-alkaline ea rths-fluoro-carbonate minerals have been discovered and established. The isomorphous series of Na-Ca-Sr-RE fluorocarbonate minerals was also disc ove red, and the regularities of isovalent and heterovalent cation isomorphism was p roved. Through a detailed investigation of meta-RE-Ti-niobate minerals the re gu larity of double isomorphism was established and proved. Two mineral groups, aes chy nite and fergusonite, have been established and developed. The concentration reg ularity of odd number light RE in the Bayun Obo Deposit was discovered. The c rystal structure relationship between complex oxide minerals of Nb, Ta, Fe, Mn a nd W, such as columbite-tantalite, ixiolite, wolframoixiolite, wodginite and qi t ianlingite were clarified. Based on a detailed study of the metamict minerals th e metamict mineralogy has been established as a branch of mineralogy. The regula rity of secondary enrichment of rare earth in the weathering surface of granite bodies has been found. The RE-Nb-Ta ore deposits of ion type and their metallo genic model have been worked out. The Chinese geologists and mineralogists have much to do in RE, Nb and Ta minera logy and they will gain important achievements in the future.