2025稀土勘探、开采、选矿与富集技术创新全景报告

Innovation Landscape Report Authors Written by Dr Holly A. L. Elliott, Dr Eimear Deady,Dr Kathryn Goodenough, Dr Evi Petavratzi,(British Geological Survey) and Edward Loye, OllieHowe, Prof Frances Wall, Dr Sam Broom-Fendley, Edited by Dr Matthew Reeves, Innovate UK Contents 3.Technology overview8 3.2 REE deposit exploration10 3.4 REE beneficiation14 3.6 Responsible sourcing and mitigation of environmental implications20 4.Discussion/analysis4.1 UK capability and stakeholder mapping 30 5.Conclusion References31 Acknowledgements40 1.ExecutiveSummary This Innovation Landscape Report on RareEarth Exploration, Extraction, Beneficiationand Concentration forms part of a seriesof reports into the UK Rare Earth Elements(REE) Value Chain, commissioned by Innovate Other reports in the series include RareEarth Processing, Rare Earth Circular The transition to Net Zero emissions isa mineral intensive process, increasingdemand for raw materials. The rare earthelements (REE) are an essential componentof many low carbon technologies, such as mineral processing is key to the successfuldevelopment of a mine. However, thisreport highlights that many developingtechnological innovations are not adoptedby industry, hindering further development A thorough evaluation of the recenttechnological advances that haveoccurred in the global REE supply chainranging from exploration stage throughextraction, beneficiation and concentration The challenges of growing the UK REE supplychain, and key stakeholders are identified inthis report. The capability gaps highlightedin this report provide opportunities for theUK to innovate and provide global expertise,including development of deposit fertilityindicators, unconventional deposit types The UK lacks suitable geology for domesticREE extraction, however, the UK does haveREE exploration companies operatingin other countries who are internationaltrade partners, consultants working onREE deposits worldwide, equipment This report therefore recommends •Invest in domestic research and •Enhance awareness of UK expertiseto allow collaboration with •Facilitate and fund technology readinessprogression of existing innovations 2.Background The rare earth elements (REE) consistof the 15 lanthanoids plus scandium andyttrium, which can be sub-categorisedinto light REE (lanthanum to samarium)and the rarer and more valuable heavyREE (europium to lutetium, plus yttrium)(European Commission, 2014). REE do notoccur individually, with a deposit hosting amix of REE in varying proportions. Geological similar crustal abundance to copper and canbe present at weight per cent concentrationsin nature, whereas the heavy REE are usually REE are key constituents in many moderntechnologies, including portable, medicaland defence technologies, owing to theirluminescent, phosphorescent and magneticproperties. Importantly, they are used intechnologies for reducing carbon emissions,such as permanent magnets in electric China dominates the global supply of REE,accounting for approximately 68 % of globalmine production in 2023 and undertaking90% of global REE processing and smelting(Andrews-Speed and Hove, 2023; USGS, as a critical raw material (Figure 1;DBT, 2022; Mudd et al., 2024). CurrentREE supply chains, especially for heavyREE, are a barrier to achieving our energytransition goals (Wang et al., 2024a). 3.Technology Innovations discussed in this report have been attributeda technology readiness level (e.g. TRL 6) in line with UKRIdefinitions (UKRI, 2022) which should be considered a 3.1 REE deposits Economic sources of REE occur globallyin a diverse range of deposit types (Figure2), reflecting the different geologicalenvironments and processes that led to 2007). Alkaline-silicate rocks are igneousrocks with higher abundances of alkalielements (sodium and potassium) relative tosilica and aluminium and often associatedwith carbonatites (Leelanandam, 1989;Mitchell, 1996). Large UK-led collaborativeresearch projects, such as HiTech AlkCarb,EURARE and SoSRare, have considerably The majority of global REE supply comesfrom the exploitation of just four deposittypes: carbonatites, alkaline-silicaterocks, ion adsorption deposits, and placer Ion adsorption deposits are the mostimportant source of yttrium and other heavyREE, forming where REE-rich rocks areexposed and weathered under sub-tropical totropical conditions. Mobilised REE become Carbonatites are relatively rare igneousrocks comprising more than 50 % carbonateminerals (Heinrich, 1966; Le Bas, 1981;Woolley and Kempe, 1989). REE depositsassociated with carbonatites are typically yet subject to commercial extraction, ornewly recognised sources of REE. As such,a better understanding of the exploration or calcium (Wu et al., 2023). Heavy REEsupplies are predominantly sourced from ionadsorption deposits that sit above graniticrocks in China (Borst et al., 2020) but theUK has capability and expertise regardingformation of and extraction fro