Behavior Of Rare Earth Elements Research Articles

A molecular dynamics investigation of La3+ and Lu3+-ligand speciation in aqueous solution

Ion-pair association of rare earth elements (REE) with ligands is important for its mobilization, enrichment, and fractionation during hydrothermal transport process, which is of great significance to study REE ore genesis, weathering process, the origin and evolution of earth and other related geoscience issues. However, reliable experimental data are limited to a specific system or ambient conditions, which hampered our understanding of the geochemical behavior of REE. In the present study, classical molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to calculate the potential of mean force (PMF) between La3+/Lu3+ and ligands of Cl−, F−, OH−, HCO3−, CO32− and SO42− in dilute aqueous solutions from ambient to supercritical thermodynamic conditions. Stability constants were calculated from the PMFs and compared with literature reported and thermodynamic calculated data. The analyses of the PMFs and stability constants suggest smaller or highly charged ions are easier to form stable complexes. For both La3+ and Lu3+ containing systems, the stability of ion pair decreases in the order of CO32− > OH− > SO42− > F− > HCO3− > Cl−. The smaller Lu3+ is to form more stable aqueous complexes at all thermodynamic conditions and these stability difference may lead to significant fractionation between La (light) and Lu (heavy). The trends of PMFs calculated stability constants are consistent with thermodynamic calculated values and provide association constants of ligands for which no experimental data exist.

Construction of hypercrosslinked polymers with styrene-based copolymer precursor for adsorption of rare earth elements

Adsorption and separation of rare earth elements (REEs) are of significant importance due to their unique properties and low supply of these elements. Porous hypercrosslinked polymers (HCPs) are currently an important category of polymer adsorbents and attracting great interest because of their merits including high surface area, moderate synthetic conditions and various building blocks. Herein, for the first time, we constructed HCPs with copolymers precursors and applied to the adsorption of REEs. Styrene (S) and glycidyl methacrylate-iminodiacetic acid (GMA-IDA) were polymerized by a facile reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer process, and GMA-IDA-co-PS copolymers were employed as precursors to construct HCPs. The adsorption behavior of REEs was investigated in detail with Tb3+ as a representative. The separation of light, medium and heavy REEs was also studied. It is the first attempt that copolymers were employed to the preparation of HCPs and used in the area of REEs adsorption, which can serve as a foundation for further design and application of various HCPs in the field of adsorption.

Grinding activation effect on the flotation recovery of unburned carbon and leachability of rare earth elements in coal fly ash

Coal fly ash (CFA) as a secondary resource has received a great deal of attention over the past few decades. Research on rare earth elements (REEs) and unburned carbon removal by flotation from CFA is burgeoning, respectively. It will be beneficial if REEs could be rich in the flotation product with the carbon removal. In this study, the optimization of flotation for the unburned carbon removal was investigated and near 100% removal came true with loss on ignition of 56% and the yield of 7.7%. The optimal conditions contain rotation speed of 600 rpm and time of 30 min using the collector of 1200 g/t, the frother of 140 g/t, and the density of 130 g/t for the flotation. The majority of REEs occurred in the tailing after the flotation due to the low yield and REEs contents of the concentrates. The difference of REEs distribution in the tailing and concentrate is more significant in the milled sample. The morphology was also observed to explain the microscale behavior of REEs during the flotation.

Mineralogical and geochemical changes in subsurface shales straddling the Ordovician–Silurian boundary in the eastern Kufra Basin, Libya

This paper reports on the elemental geochemistry of 47 shale samples from the uppermost Hirnantian–lowermost Rhuddanian Tanezzuft Formation, collected from drill core (depth interval 20.8–73.2 m) from borehole JA-2 at the eastern Kufra Basin, SE Libya. Eighteen of these samples were also analysed by X-ray diffraction. This study was carried out (i) to search for shales with high total organic carbon (TOC >3 wt%) and associated high uranium (U > 30 ppm) concentrations, commonly referred to as ‘hot’ shales, (ii) to test whether TOC and U correlate, (iii) to study the effects of surface weathering on the behaviour and mobility of major oxides, trace elements and rare earth elements (REE), and (iv) to examine the relationship of the elemental composition obtained in this study and Rock-Eval pyrolysis and kerogen data obtained in previous studies on the same core samples. The studied core can be divided into three intervals: upper weathered section (20.8–46.5 m, influenced by Quaternary weathering), unweathered section (46.5–68.5 m), and lower weathered section (68.5–73.9 m, influenced by latest Ordovician weathering). Overall, the shales have low TOC values (<1 wt%) and low U concentrations (<12 ppm). TOC and U do not show any correlation likely due to their low values. Hence, ‘hot’ shale has not yet been proven in this part of the Kufra Basin. Trace elements such as Mn and Sc show significant changes from the weathered into the unweathered core section. In contrast, the majority of the major oxides, trace elements and REE seem to be unaffected or at least largely unaffected by weathering processes. The exception is the transition from the unweathered section into the lower weathered section of the core. Here, most of the major oxides, trace elements and REE show either abrupt or gradual shifts towards lower or higher element concentrations. The observed whole-rock geochemical (e.g., K2O, Rb, Sr, Th/K) and mineralogical (e.g., kaolinite/illite, K-feldspar/quartz) changes suggest either a switch from one source area to another or, more likely, climatic influence. The deepest part of the core may have been influenced by a more humid and warm climate that has led to intensive chemical weathering and dissolution of K-feldspar. During the latest Hirnantian–earliest Rhuddanian a temporary emersion event may have occurred due to post-glacial rebound, which has led to the weathering of older strata.

Ferrihydrite Transformation Impacted by Adsorption and Structural Incorporation of Rare Earth Elements

Understanding the association of rare earth elements (REEs) with iron (oxyhydr)oxides is of great interest in the recovery of REEs from regolith and weathered soils in the world. The objective of this study was to understand the effects of 1 mg L–1 REEs on the ferrihydrite transformation process. Ferrihydrite was synthesized at pH 5 and 7 in the presence of REEs, and the transformation products were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fe K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. During the phase transformation process after 60–120 days, the retention of REEs varied with the REE atomic number. In general, heavy REEs preferably partitioned in aged (≥90 days) ferrihydrite more than light REEs, especially at pH 5. At pH 5, the transformation of ferrihydrite to goethite was retarded by ∼12% when REEs were present. The average structural substitution of REEs was as high as ∼550 mg kg–1, and the substitution of heavy REEs such as Yb and Lu was a critical factor to suppress the ferrihydrite transformation. At pH 7, the formation of hematite was retarded by ∼10%, and the structural incorporation of REEs was more important than adsorbed REEs during the first 30 days. There was no REE-specific retention in aged iron (oxyhydr)oxides at pH 7. The results of this study may explain the association of REEs with iron (oxyhydr)oxides, especially heavy REEs in mildly acidic regolith and weathered soils. This study advanced our understanding of the aqueous geochemical behavior of REEs in iron (oxyhydr)oxide-rich supergene environments.

Electronic waste as a source of rare earth element pollution: Leaching, transport in porous media, and the effects of nanoparticles

Rare earth elements (REEs) are an emerging pollutant whose increasing use in various technological applications causes increasing risk of environmental contamination. Electronic waste (E-waste) could be one major source of REE pollution, as E-waste typically contains elevated REE concentrations and is often handled in unsafe and environmentally hazardous ways. Here, a series of leaching assays revealed that <1% of REEs available in a representative E-waste were released except at acidic conditions (pH 2) rarely observed in nature. If REEs are leached from E-waste, the extent of their spread in the environment will depend, in large part, on their mobility through porous media. Measurements of REE transport through saturated sand demonstrated extremely limited mobility except at acidic conditions (pH 2), though significant REE retention by the substrate still occurs at this low pH. Similar experiments in a natural soil found REE mobility to be even lower in that substrate, with complete REE retention even after the passage of up to 215 pore volumes of a 500 ppb REE solution. Aqueous REEs are therefore not expected to be highly mobile in the environment. The presence of natural or anthropogenic nanoparticles may affect REE behavior during leaching and/or transport. Measurements indicated that silica nanoparticles can increase the concentration of fluid-mobile REEs during E-waste leaching, but both plastic and silica nanoparticles have a negligible effect on REE transport. Ultimately, the experiments and analysis presented here suggest that the threat of REE pollution from E-waste is minimal except at specific sites with unusual environmental conditions.

Geochemical behavior and fractionation characteristics of rare earth elements (REEs) in riverine water profiles and sentinel Clam (Corbicula fluminea) across watershed scales: Insights for REEs monitoring

The increasing global demand for rare earth elements (REEs) has led to their recognition as emerging contaminants; however, the effect that biota have on the cycling of these elements at the watershed scale is not currently well understood. In this study, water samples and field freshwater clams Corbicula fluminea were concurrently collected along watershed gradients, and concentration profiles of 14 naturally occurring REEs were measured in operationally defined water fractions and soft tissues of the freshwater clams. Moreover, Post Archean Australian Shale (PAAS) normalized REE patterns, fractionation indices, and anomalous values were determined to further extract characteristic features. As a result, both the water and biological samples had variable REE compositions, with higher concentrations of light REEs (LREEs) than middle REEs (MREEs) and heavy REEs (HREEs), while decreasing concentrations were generally observed as filter pore size decreased, implying that large colloidal and particulate fractions were important carriers of REEs. The spatial distribution patterns of REEs revealed a clear site effect among profiles, with variability more pronounced among watersheds and with peaks in sites from a small watershed near the hotspots of the mining area, and then exhibited a decreasing trend with distance from there. Meanwhile, significant bioaccumulation of REEs was observed potentially reflecting different degrees of contamination gradients among the watersheds. The PAAS-normalized distribution patterns tended to be slightly enriched in MREEs, producing a peculiar “roof-shaped” feature and characteristic fractionation. Remarkably, bio-concentration factors (BCFs) highlighted the importance of large colloidal and particulate phases in assessing biologically available REEs for filter-feeding species. Collectively, our study strongly favored that accumulation patterns and fractionation characteristics of REEs in C. fluminea can serve as a reliable indicator of geochemical behavior, providing a promising biomonitoring tool to quantitatively denote different degrees of REE contamination and assess possible impacts in mining watersheds.

The Behaviour of Rare Earth Elements from South African Coal Fly Ash during Enrichment Processes: Wet, Magnetic Separation and Zeolitisation

Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential raw materials in a variety of industries including clean energy technologies such as electric vehicles and wind turbines. This places an ever-increasing demand on global rare earth element production. Coal fly ash (CFA) possesses appreciable levels of REEs. CFA, a waste by-product of coal combustion, is therefore a readily available source of REEs that does not require mining. CFA valorisation to zeolites has been achieved via various synthesis pathways. This study aimed to evaluate one such pathway by monitoring how REEs partition during CFA processing by the wet, magnetic separation process and zeolitisation. South African CFA was subjected to wet, magnetic separation and subsequent zeolitisation of the nonmagnetic fraction (NMF); solid products were characterised by XRD, SEM, XRF and LA-ICP-MS. The wet, magnetic separation process resulted in the partitioning of a specific set of transition metals (such as Fe, Mn, Cr, V, Ni, Zn, Cu, Co and Mo) into the magnetic fraction (MF) of CFA, while REEs partitioned into the NMF with a total REE content of 530.2 ppm; thus, the matrix elements of CFA were extracted with ease. Zeolitisation resulted in a solid zeolite product (hydroxysodalite) with a total REE content of 537.6 ppm. The process of zeolitisation also resulted in the selective enrichment of Ce (259.1 ppm) into the solid zeolite product (hydroxysodalite), while other REEs were largely partitioned into the liquid phase. CFA valorisation by wet, magnetic separation and zeolitisation therefore allowed for the partitioning of REEs into various extraction products while recovering the matrix elements of CFA such as Fe, Si and Al. The findings of this study highlight the geopolitical importance of REEs in terms of the development of alternative processes for REE recovery from waste and alternative sources, which may potentially give countries that employ and develop the technology a key advantage in the production of REEs for the global market.

Distribution of Rare Earth Elements and Their Applications as Tracers for Groundwater Geochemistry - A Review

Several studies investigating the behavior and environmental distribution of rare earth elements (REEs) have been reviewed to determine the geochemical processes that may affect their concentrations and fractionation patterns in groundwater and whether these elements can be used as tracers for groundwater-rock interactions and groundwater flow paths in small catchments. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), equipped with an ultrasonic nebulizer and active-film multiplier detector, is routinely used as an analytical technique to measure REEs in groundwater, facilitating the analysis of dissolved REE geochemistry. This review focuses on the distribution of REEs in groundwater and their application as tracers for groundwater geochemistry. Our review of existing literature suggests that REEs in ice cores can be used as effective tracers for atmospheric particles, aiding the identification of source regions.

Behavior of Light and Heavy Rare-Earth Elements in a Two-Step Fe and Al Removal Process from Rare-Earth Pregnant Leach Solutions

Behavior of Light and Heavy Rare-Earth Elements in a Two-Step Fe and Al Removal Process from Rare-Earth Pregnant Leach Solutions

Partial rehydration of tubular halloysite (7 Å) immersed in La(NO3)3 solution for 3 years and its implication for understanding REE occurrence in weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores

Clay minerals are the main carriers of rare earth elements (REE) in weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth (WED-RE) ores. The clay mineral-water interface reaction is among the most important interactions controlling the aggregation and transportation of REE(III) ions. Yet long-term experiments of interactions between REE(III) ions and clay minerals are scarce in the literature. Here, two typical clay minerals that commonly occur in WED-RE ores, namely tubular halloysite (7 Å) and platy kaolinite, were immersed in a La solution for 3 consecutive years. The specimens' characteristics were systematically determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The partial rehydration of tubular halloysite (7 Å) was observed, with the resulting rehydrated halloysite characterized by lattice fringes having d(001)-values of ~1.000 and 0.830 nm, whose distribution features demonstrated that the partial rehydration happened initially at the outermost layers of the halloysite (7 Å). By contrast, both the morphology and structure of kaolinite remained intact after its 3-year-long immersion in the La solution. For both immersed halloysite and kaolinite, the La existed as inner-sphere complexes, outer-sphere complexes, and hydroxide particles adsorbed on the surface of minerals. However, La(III) ions partially penetrated the interlayer of halloysite but did not enter that of kaolinite. Accordingly, the intercalation of La(III) in halloysite may facilitate the rehydration of halloysite (7 Å). These experimental results provide novel insight into the conditions for rehydrating tubular halloysite (7 Å), and indicate a new possible state of REE(III) in WED-RE ores, both of which help us to better understand the geochemical behavior of REE and clay minerals in WED-RE ores.

ПОВЕДЕНИЕ РЕДКОЗЕМЕЛЬНЫХ ЭЛЕМЕНТОВ В ПОЧВЕННО-РАСТИТЕЛЬНОМ ПОКРОВЕ УРБОЛАНДШАФТОВ г. СОЧИ

The geochemical regional specialization of the behavior of rare earth elements (REE) in the soils of Sochi, manifested in the predominance of REE of the middle group, has been established. The enrichment by the middle group of REE is inherited from the rocks (mainly clayey mudstones) of the territory. At the same time, the features of the distribution of REE, characteristic of natural soils, are not violated for soils formed under the conditions of technogenesis. This indicates that the pollution of urban soils is determined by a natural and technogenic factor. The sources of pollution are man-made sites and talus, which lack a soil-vegetation layer, including those recently formed during the preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and composed of the same material as the parent rocks, but significantly crushed and, accordingly, subject to active weathering. In mosses of the urban zone, in the eluvial landscape, the predominance of the middle group of REE is not observed. However, as we move down the slope, the REE distribution curve relative to the North American shale standardization becomes similar to the similar graph for soils and rocks. The relationship between the accumulation of elements in mosses, and in soils and underlying rocks is revealed when considering the features of fractionation of REE in mosses of the super-aquatic landscape.

Differences in the behaviour of trace and rare-earth elements in oxidizing and reducing soil environments: Case study of Terra Rossa soils and Cretaceous palaeosols from the Istrian peninsula, Croatia

This study compares the differences between the distribution of trace elements and rare-earth elements (REEs) formed under reducing and oxidizing soil conditions during pedogenesis on carbonate bedrock. Terra rossa (TR) soils, representing pedogenesis under oxic conditions, and Cretaceous palaeosols (CP), representing pedogenesis under reducing conditions, were sampled on the Istrian peninsula. They were studied by ICP-MS, ICP-OES, XRF, XRD, sequential extraction and statistical analyses. The differences in trace-element behaviour between the TR and CP stem from different redox conditions, but the most remarkable difference was observed in the behaviour of the REEs. Statistical analyses revealed that in TR soils all the REEs showed a very positive correlation, while in CPs the light REEs and heavy REEs showed an internal, very positive correlation. TR soils have almost twice as much REEs as CPs. This difference is pedogenetic, as both materials have a very similar amount of REEs in the residual fraction. While TR soils have the same amount of REEs in fractions other than the residual fraction, CPs have almost no REEs in these fractions. Different REE patterns obtained from sequential extraction, such as a middle-REE enrichment and a positive Ce anomaly in TR soils and light-REE depletion, heavy-REE enrichment, positive Ce and Eu anomalies in CPs, contributed to an understanding of the redox and pedogenetic processes. This study successfully emphasized the influence of different redox conditions on the behaviour of trace and rare-earth elements during pedogenesis on a carbonate bedrock and the ability of the REEs to track pedogenetic processes.

Rare earth elements characterization associated to the phosphate fertilizer plants of Gabes (Tunisia, Central Mediterranean Sea): Geochemical properties and behavior, related economic losses, and potential hazards

This is the first study on the behavior and industrial fluxes of rare earth elements (REE) in the coastal fertilizer plants of Gabes (south-eastern Tunisia), the economic losses related to their wastes, and their environmental and human health hazards. The concentrations of 16 REE were assessed in phosphate rock (PR), phosphogypsum (PG) and phosphogypsum foam (PGF) samples, collected from Gabes plants. REE concentrations ranged from 0.23 (for Sc in PG) to 309.33 mg kg−1 (for Ce in PGF). Ce was the most abundant in the three matrices, with concentrations ranging between 80.40 (in PG) and 309.33 mg kg−1 (in PGF). PGF was the most enriched with REE (1075.32 mg kg−1). The annual flow of REE from the fertilizer factories to the marine environment may reach 1523.67 t. The economic losses related to the discharge of phosphogypsum REE in the Gulf of Gabes (GG) was estimated at ~58 million US$ y−1. The potential hazards of discharged REE on the local environment and human health were also evaluated and discussed. These findings show the need for the development of a new industry exploiting REE from phosphogypsum wastes (short term) and phosphate ores (long term) which should lead to reduce its high environmental and human health footprint and to potential economic gains.

Lanthanum Diffusion in Fluorapatite at 400 °C, 50 MPa and 4–16 wt %

Apatite is an important carrier of rare earth elements (REEs) and phosphorite is a potential REEs resource. However, the influence of hydrothermal fluids on the migration and enrichment of REE in apatite remains controversial. The experimental study of the interaction between REE-bearing fluid and apatite is one of the essential ways to understand the chemical behavior of rare earth elements in apatite. In this study, we conducted the fluid–mineral reaction experimental study (at 400 °C, 50 MPa and 4–16 wt %) between high lanthanum (La) content hydrothermal solution and low REE content to reveal the influence of different salinities on the diffusion of rare earth elements in fluorapatite. Based on in situ geochemical analyses of experimental products, we show that the diffusion coefficients of La in fluorapatite are between 3.24 × 10−15 and 5.88 × 10−15 m2/s. The salinity of the fluid has a great influence on the diffusion coefficient, with the increase of salinity, the diffusion coefficient increase.

Conservative behavior of terrestrial trace elements associated with humic substances in the coastal ocean

The transport of terrestrial sources of trace elements to the ocean has proven to be crucial in constraining not only their own biogeochemical behaviors but also regulating global carbon cycling and ecosystem changes. Most terrestrial dissolved trace elements are known to be largely scavenged in the estuarine mixing zone or coastal waters before reaching the open ocean, owing to their particle-reactive nature. In this study, we investigated the behavior of trace elements (Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn) and rare earth elements (REEs), together with other biogeochemical parameters, in a coastal embayment, which features a long water residence time. Our results showed intense depletion of inorganic nutrients throughout the bay relative to the fresh and open-ocean water mixing curve. Moreover, REE fractionation also revealed notable particle scavenging with a significant removal of Ce. However, most trace elements (Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn) showed higher concentrations in lower salinity waters and significant positive correlations with humic substances. Thus, we hypothesize that terrestrial trace elements (Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn), associated with terrestrial humic substances, can survive particle scavenging and biological consumption in the coastal mixing zone, and may be important sources of trace elements to the open ocean globally.

Extraction Behaviors of Critical Rare Earth Elements with Novel Structurally Tailored Unsymmetrical Diglycolamides from Acidic Media

ABSTRACT A series of eight new structurally related unsymmetrical diglycolamides (UDGA) were designed and compared based on REEs extraction and phase compatibility at high acidic media concentration. The structure–reactivity relationship with extraction of REEs was studied in HCl, HNO3, and H2SO4 solutions. A symmetrical diglycolamide (DGA), N,N,N’,N’-tetradodecyldiglycolamide (TD2DGA), was synthesized for purpose of comparison. The influence of HCl, HNO3, and H2SO4 concentrations on the distribution ratios of the studied metal ions was investigated. In all systems, the mutual separation of the investigated REEs as well as from Fe(III), Ni(II), and Co(II) was achieved in the whole range of acidic solutions used by N,N′‐diisobutyl‐N,N′‐didodecyldiglycolamide (DiBD2DGA). A systematic investigation of the extraction of La(III), Pr(III), Nd(III), and Dy(III) was carried out with DiBD2DGA from hydrochloric acid media. The stoichiometry of the extracted REEs-UDGA complex was determined by the slope analysis method and complexation was found to be exothermic. The FT-IR spectra of these extracted species were studied. The back extraction of La(III), Pr(III), Nd(III), and Dy(III) was carried out.

Effect of various ligands on the selective precipitation of critical and rare earth elements from acid mine drainage

Acid mine drainage (AMD) has been of environmental concern for decades but recently found to be a viable source of critical elements including rare earth elements (REEs). Recovery of these elements while treating AMD for environmental compliance improves the sustainability of the treatment process. The precipitation behavior of the REEs and other cations during the AMD neutralization process depends strongly on the solution chemistry, available ligands, and concentration of elements. Several chemicals were used to study the effect of various ions/ligands (i.e., OH−, SO42−, NH4+, CO32−, and PO43−) on precipitation behavior of REEs and other elements from AMD as a function of pH. It was found that only up to 70% of total REEs can be recovered using NaOH at circumneutral pH. (NH4)OH suppressed the precipitation of REEs up to pH 8. The presence of phosphate and carbonate ions in the solution increased the precipitation yield of REEs at lower pH values. Both Na2HPO4 and Na2CO3 were found to increase the precipitation of REEs at pH below 7, as over 85% of REEs were recovered. Calculated saturation indices and speciation diagrams for selected REEs confirmed the experimental data. Considering the elemental recovery values, environmental effects, as well as chemical consumption and cost, a two-step AMD treatment process using Na2CO3 was formulated. Through the proposed process, 90% of the aluminum was recovered in the first step (at pH 5), while 85% of REEs was recovered in the second step (at pH 7) with a significantly high concentration of 1.6%.

Migration of rare earth elements in the topsoil of abandoned mines under rainfall leaching

Study of the geochemistry behavior of rare earth elements into the soil driven by exploration will contribute to better environmental management. Thereby, we investigated the topsoil samples of different slopes from an abandoned ionic rare earth mine tailing with stimulated rainfall leaching. The results show that the elements migrated during the leaching, mainly light rare earth elements changed in the topsoil of the upper and middle slopes, while both light and heavy rare earth elements significantly altered in the lower slope. The abnormal value δCe can illustrate the distribution of rare earth elements in the soil developed by mining activities.

Rare Earth Elements and Fractionation of Zr-Hf and Y-Ho: Implication to Petrogenesis of Idanre Granite, Nigeria

Idanre area which is situated within the Nigerian shield is affected by orogenic activities accompanied by emplacement of Pan-African granitoids. This paper presents a new information on geochemical behaviour of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and High Field Strength Elements (HFSEs) Zr-Hf and Y-Ho that can explain post magmatic processes relating to the origin and evolution of the Idanre granite. Zr-Hf, Hf-(Zr/Hf) and Y-Ho, (Y/Ho)-Ho variation diagrams depicted similar mobility and migration patterns for Zr, Hf, Y and Ho. Binary plots of Log Zr/Hf vs Log Hf, Log Y/Ho vs Log Ho; high LREE/HREE and negative Eu anomaly shows extensive plagioclase and calcic amphibole fractionation. High Ce/Yb values 113.49, 134.97, and 123.6 reflects low partial melting in the source rocks. Similar Zr/Hf ratios 39.16; 39.3 and 43.26 for members of the granite suite suggest a common source for the minimally differentiated magmatic fluid. Y/Ho ratios of 27.15, 27.12 and 25.91 indicate that the rock units are comagmatic. Mean Zr/Hf (41.69) and Y/Ho (27.18) ratios indicate the host migmatite may be the source rock for the Idanre granite complex.