Ionic adsorption clays with heavy rare earths in concentrations from 50 to 1500 ppm have been reported in Canada, Brazil, Chile, Southwestern Africa, and Southeast Asia outside of China.
I have examined all of these locations except Chile. More importantly the Japanese Geological Agency, AIST, has looked at all such proffered deposits with teams of geologists and mining engineers. I have seen the AIST report (it was presented to the Malaysian Ministry of Mines in Kuala Lumpur last March, and I was also asked to speak at that meeting)
There are indeed ionic adsorption clays in Viet Nam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and metropolitan Malaysia (Borneo/Sarwak). Anywhere else in the world “clay” deposits are a mixture of ionic and lattice bound heavy rare earth species. The lattice bound ones require acid or base “cracking” to extract. Nonetheless economic recovery may be possible in such mixed deposits in the USA, Brazil, Chile, and Madagascar.
Remember that recovery of rare earths from ionic adsorption clays is a one-time extraction. After the first extraction it is no longer possible to do further runs economically as the concentrations have been lowered to a non-economic point. However in many locations another million years of rain may restock the local clays.
The best hope and perhaps the only real hope for a continuation of the supply of the heavy rare earths necessary for the current demand to be met is their extraction from hard rock deposits. These do not occur in China or the rainforest arc.
Hard rock deposits of heavy rare earth themed minerals occur in Canada, the United States, Northern Europe, southern Africa, Central Asia, and Australia.
The most likely to be developed to production, because they have the best combinations of infrastructure, politics, and minerology as well the lowest costs are
- Tasman Metals (Sweden),
- Rare Element Resources (Wyoming USA)
- Ucore Rare Metals (Alaska USA)
- Texas Rare Earth Resources (Texas USA)
- MSV (Brazil)
- Namibia Rare Earths (Namibia, RSA)
- Tantalus (Madagascar)
- Northern Minerals (Australia), and
- Hastings Minerals (Australia)
Please note that numbers 4, 5, and 7 above are mixed ionic and lattice bound clays or, in the case of TRER, a lattice bound HREE low grade mountain of porous rock containing a xenotime analog, yttrofluorite. These “deposits” can be extracted with non oxidizing acid such as sulphuric. The rest are much higher grade deposits the heavy rare earths in which come from minerals such as xenotime, monazite, and eudialyte.
I wonder how the pundits explain that Chinese investors are putting money into hard rock deposits containing heavy rare earths all over the world instead of pouring money into the “abundant” ionic clays? Why are the Japanese who actually know where all of the ionic clays are located investing hundreds of millions into trying to recover heavy rare earths from uranium and tin tailings in Canada, Brazil, and Kazakhstan? The answer, my friends, is that the Chinese and Japanese know where the heavy rare earths are best recovered without helping out their American and European COMPETITORS!
Put your money where the heavy rare earths are accessible and abundant for western industry and our military. The Chinese and Japanese are doing exactly that for themselves. Stop saying silly stuff about ionic adsorption clays.
Oh, and look for new extraction and separation TECHNOLOGIES. These will make all of the difference in costs!
https://investorintel.com/sectors/t...ys-heavy-rare-earth-investment-opportunities/
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