Chapter 9 - China’s Rare Earth Resources, Mineralogy, and Beneficiation

Abstract

China possesses the largest resource of rare earth elements (REE) in the world. The reserves of rare earth ores (REOs) in China consist of 40% of total global reserves. China has dominated world rare earth production since the 1980s. Currently, the rare earth supply in China mainly comes from the Bayan Obo REE–niobium–iron deposit situated in Inner Mongolia, the ion adsorption rare earth deposits in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, and Guangxi, the Mianning bastnaesite deposit in Sichuan and the Weishan bastnaesite deposit in Shandong, and the placer monazite and xenotime deposits in Guangdong and Hainan. In this chapter, China’s rare earth resources, production, mines, and ore mineralogy are introduced and beneficiation techniques including flowsheets, flotation, and leaching reagents, and development are discussed.