Abstract
In order to provide a good theoretical guidance for the development and utilization of weathered phosphorite resources, we investigated the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of primary and weathered phosphorites. The analysis of trace elements showed that the primary ore has hydrothermal sedimentation effect in the later stage, the weathered ore has obvious residual enrichment and the phosphate ore belongs to clastic lithologic phosphate rock. In addition, through leaching test method, it was shown that rare earth elements are present in fluorapatite in the form of isomorphic substitution, and the proportion of rare earth elements adsorbed on clay and other minerals was likely to be between 2% and 3%. The light rare earth elements are relatively enriched in both primary and weathered phosphorite, and Ce and Eu have obvious negative anomalies. The primary phosphorite is a dolomitic phosphorite containing rare earth elements, which are naturally enriched by weathering, and its weathered ore has obvious residual enrichment, while the deposit was characterized by normal marine sedimentation and hydrothermal action.
Highlights
Phosphorite is a non-renewable resource without substitute and a significant raw material for phosphatic fertilizers and phosphorus-based chemicals [1,2,3]
Weathered phosphorites are characterized by generally enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREE), depletion in HREE, and Eu negative anomaly [10,11]
We investigated the mineralogical and geochemical composition of the primary and weathered phosphorites to optimize the use of weathered phosphorite and their rare earth elements in industry
Summary
Phosphorite is a non-renewable resource without substitute and a significant raw material for phosphatic fertilizers and phosphorus-based chemicals [1,2,3]. There are abundant sedimentary phosphorite deposits in China, most of which were formed in the Neoproterozoic Late Sinian and in the Paleozoic early Cambrian [4,5]. Supergene weathering of these phosphorites produced weathered phosphorite, a potential industrial type of phosphorite, which is a high-quality ore [6]. Weathering changed the characteristics of phosphorite, and there is a significant difference between weathered ore and primary ore, regardless of their characteristics or grade [8]. Weathered phosphorites are characterized by generally enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREE), depletion in HREE, and Eu negative anomaly [10,11]
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