Abstract
Research for critical raw materials is of special interest, due to their increasing demand, opulence of applications and shortage of supply. Bauxites, or bauxite residue after alumina extraction can be sources of critical raw materials (CRMs) due to their content of rare earth elements and other critical elements. Montenegrin bauxites and bauxite residue (red mud) are investigated for their mineralogy and geochemistry. The study of the CRM’s potential of the Montenegrin bauxite residue after the application of Bayer process, is performed for the first time. Montenegrin bauxites, (Jurassic bauxites from the Vojnik-Maganik and Prekornica ore regions from the Early Jurassic, Middle Jurassic-Oxfordian and Late Triassic paleorelief) are promising for their REE’s content (around 1000 ppm of ΣREE’s). More specifically, they are especially enriched in LREEs compared to HREEs. Regarding other CRMs and other elements, Ti, V, Zr, Nb, Sr and Ga could also be promising. In bauxite residue, the contents of Zr, Sr, V, Sc, La, Ce, Y, Ti and Nb are higher than those in bauxites. However, raw bauxites and bauxite residue as a secondary raw material can be considered as possible sources of CRMs.
Highlights
From economical point of view, red karstic bauxites can be considered as a potential mineral raw material for obtaining the Rare Earth Elements (REE)
Paleogene bauxites are the most enriched in Sr, especially those from the Ulcinj region with an average of 332.5 ppm. When it comes to Sc, the average contents of this economically valuable element are relatively uniform in bauxites of different formations from 28 ppm in Paleogene bauxites of BokaKotorska region up to 58.41 ppm in Jurassic bauxites of the Vojnik-Maganik and Prekornica ore regions formed on the carbonate underlying bed of Late Triassic age
Jurassic bauxites are of the greatest economic importance in Montenegro, especially high-quality deposits of the bauxite-bearing region Vojnik-Maganik, in the wider area o
Summary
From economical point of view, red karstic bauxites can be considered as a potential mineral raw material for obtaining the REEs. The presence of rare earth elements in significant contents, in the explored deposits and occurrences of Jurassic bauxite in the Vojnik-Maganik and Prekornica ore regions, as well as in bauxites of other bauxite formations in Montenegro has been confirmed by recent studies [4,5,6]. In this way, a basis has been created for more detailed research for CRMs in Montenegro. The content and mode of occurrences of REEs and other trace elements in the bauxite deposit of Montenegro are directly related to the composition and origin of the parent material, as well as the conditions and duration of bauxitisation and the other factors. All exploration activities were done in the frame of the REEBAUX project implementation
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