Portable X-ray fluorescence in the assessment of rare earth element-enriched sedimentary phosphate deposits

Abstract

Phosphate deposits are the main source of raw materials used by the phosphate fertilizer industry and, in recent years, they have also been considered as potential sources of rare earth elements (REEs) and fluorine (F). Based on 160 portable XRF (pXRF) measurements taken on 32 pulps of naturally occurring phosphate rocks from the Fernie Formation (British Columbia, Canada) with a representative range of P and REE concentrations, the pXRF analyser was able to provide data with acceptable precision, accuracy, and excellent coefficients of determination (r 2 ≥ 0.85) relative to the laboratory data for Ba, Mo, Y, Sr, U, Rb, Zn, Fe, Ca, P, Si and S. Results with coefficients of determination of 0.5 ≤ r 2