With the development of aviation,superconducting,and other steel industries,the demand for niobium(Nb)has significantly increased worldwide,positioning it as a critical strategic metal.The Bayan Obo rare-earth element...With the development of aviation,superconducting,and other steel industries,the demand for niobium(Nb)has significantly increased worldwide,positioning it as a critical strategic metal.The Bayan Obo rare-earth elements(REE)-Nb-iron(Fe)deposit contains over 70% of China’s Nb resources and hosts the world’s largest reserves of REE.However,due to technical and environmental challenges,a substantial portion of the Nb resources remains underutilized and stored in tailings.Research and development of efficient,environmentally friendly,low-energy consumption,and less complex methods for extracting Nb from the Bayan Obo tailings possess significant scientific value and strategic importance.This paper reviews the current research status and distinctive geological and mineralogical characteristics of Nb resources in the Bayan Obo deposit,as well as existing pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical technologies for extracting Nb from ores and tailings,subsequently comparing their advantages to guide the development of new processes.Based on a comprehensive consideration of the technical,economic,environmental,quality,and safety aspects,it is suggested that future research should prioritize establishing a systematic recommendation procedure for targeted Nb-bearing mineral characterization and analysis for the Bayan Obo tailings,developing fluoride-free or low-fluoride hydrometallurgical techniques,and exploring innovative methods for Nb mineral coarsening.This review thus provides new insights into the efficient utilization of the Bayan Obo Nb resources and supports the development of innovative and effective strategies for optimizing Nb extraction from ores and tailings.展开更多
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB0840102)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(92162106)+1 种基金the Director’s Fund of Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry,CAS(2022SZJJZD-02)Guangdong Research Center for Strategic Metals and Green Utilization(2024B0303390002).
文摘With the development of aviation,superconducting,and other steel industries,the demand for niobium(Nb)has significantly increased worldwide,positioning it as a critical strategic metal.The Bayan Obo rare-earth elements(REE)-Nb-iron(Fe)deposit contains over 70% of China’s Nb resources and hosts the world’s largest reserves of REE.However,due to technical and environmental challenges,a substantial portion of the Nb resources remains underutilized and stored in tailings.Research and development of efficient,environmentally friendly,low-energy consumption,and less complex methods for extracting Nb from the Bayan Obo tailings possess significant scientific value and strategic importance.This paper reviews the current research status and distinctive geological and mineralogical characteristics of Nb resources in the Bayan Obo deposit,as well as existing pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical technologies for extracting Nb from ores and tailings,subsequently comparing their advantages to guide the development of new processes.Based on a comprehensive consideration of the technical,economic,environmental,quality,and safety aspects,it is suggested that future research should prioritize establishing a systematic recommendation procedure for targeted Nb-bearing mineral characterization and analysis for the Bayan Obo tailings,developing fluoride-free or low-fluoride hydrometallurgical techniques,and exploring innovative methods for Nb mineral coarsening.This review thus provides new insights into the efficient utilization of the Bayan Obo Nb resources and supports the development of innovative and effective strategies for optimizing Nb extraction from ores and tailings.
