Research and Development – Research Topic RoStraMet (World-wide raw material potentials of metals of strategic economic importance to safeguard the future supply to the German industry)

Begin of project: October 1, 2014

End of project: June 30, 2023

Status of project: May 10, 2022

Syenit-Intrusion Source: BGR

The main focus of this world-wide directed research topic is on the establishment of new raw material potentials of metals of high demand for high-technology applications. This will contribute to safeguard a sustainable supply of raw materials to the industry (diversification of sources).

High-technology metals generally occur in trace amounts in rocks and are occasionally enriched in certain rock types and ore minerals, which have formed under complex geological conditions. However, the formation conditions are commonly poorly understood.

Special ore types may contain heavy rare-earth elements, yttrium and tantalum – sometimes niobium. These elements are indispensable for important new technologies in the fields of electromobility or renewable energy sources. Furthermore, most of the aforementioned elements rarely occur enriched to economically mineable concentrations in ore deposits.

Sb-Halde in Tajikistan Source: BGR

A second focus of the research is on classic by-products of mining (e.g. germanium); such elements have shown a very pronounced country concentration of their production since the last decade.

Mining residues and unconventional ore types like the oxidized parts of platinum-group element mineralization also form valuable sources for metals of strategic economic importance and form, consequently, a third focus of our research.

The BGR work will result in the development of innovative concepts for exploration activities for mineral deposits, mining and ore processing.

Key aspects of the research topic are:

• Characterization of complex non-conventional deposit types in order to identify new potentials of high-tech metal supply (process-oriented research, study of trace metal distribution in ore bodies, development of exploration indicators).
• Investigation of potentials of high-tech metals in mine residues.
• Development of new technologies for the extraction of trace metals (e.g., by using bio-leaching).

Modules of the research focus on:

• World-wide occurrences of complex ores with enrichments of heavy rare-earth elements (e. g. Tb, Dy), yttrium, niobium and tantalum in magmatites.
• World-wide potentials in primary ores and secondary enrichments of indium, germanium and antimony.
• Potentials of nickel, cobalt and platinum-group elements in laterites, focus on Africa and Central America.

Literature:

• Benaouda, R., Kraemer, D., Sitnikova, M., Goldmann, S., Freitag, R., Bouali, A., Mouttaqi, A., El Haloui, R., Essaadaoui, M., Bau, M., 2020. Thorium-poor monazite and columbite-(Fe) mineralization in the Gleibat Lafhouda carbonatite and its associated iron-oxide-apatite deposit of the Ouled Dlim Massif, South Morocco. Gondwana Research, 77, 19-39.
• Graupner, T., Oppermann, R., Tongu, E.L., 2014. Rare-earth elements: In Investor’s and procurement guide South Africa, Part I, ed. P. Buchholz, DERA Rohstoffinformation 21, 73-116.
• Graupner, T., Mühlbach, C., Schwarz-Schampera, U., Henjes-Kunst, F., Melcher, F., Terblanche, H., 2015. Mineralogy of high-field-strength elements (Y, Nb, REE) in the world-class Vergenoeg fluorite deposit, South Africa, Ore Geology Reviews, 64, 583-601.
• Graupner, T., Henjes-Kunst, F., Klemd, R., Gerdes, A., Dohrmann, R., Kaufhold, S., 2016. Rare earth potential of apatite in the Schiel complex, South Africa, EMC 2016 - Minerals, rocks and fluids: alphabet and words of planet earth, Rimini, Italy, p. 610.
• Graupner, T., Klemd, R., Henjes-Kunst, F., Goldmann, S., Behnsen, H., Gerdes, A., Dohrmann, R., Barton Jr., J. M., Opermann, R. 2018. Formation conditions and REY enrichment of the 2060 Ma phosphorus mineralization at Schiel (South Africa): geochemical and geochronological constraints. Mineralium Deposita, 53, 1117-1142.
• Henning, S., Graupner, T., Krassmann, T., Gäbler, H.-E., Kus, J., 2022. Processes of enrichment of trace metals for high tech applications in hydrothermal veins of the Ruhr Basin and the Rhenish Massif, Germany. The Canadian Mineralogist, in press.
• Junge, M., Oberthür, T., Osbahr, I. and Gutter, P., 2016. Platinum-group element and minerals in the Lower and Middle Group chromitites of the western Bushveld Complex, South Africa: Mineralium Deposita, 51, 841-852.
• Marrero, J., Coto, O., Goldmann, S., Graupner, T., Schippers, A., 2015. Recovery of nickel and cobalt from laterite tailings by reductive dissolution under aerobic conditions using Acidithiobacillus species, Environmental Science and Technology, 49, 6674-6682.
• Oberthür, T., Junge, M., Rudashevsky, N., de Meyer, E., Gutter, P., 2016. Deportment of platinoids in the LG and MG chromitites of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa: Mineralium Deposita, 51, 71-87.
• Schippers, A. Tanne, C., Stummeyer, J., Graupner, T., 2019. Sphalerite bioleaching comparison in shake flasks and percolators. Minerals Engineering, 132, 251-257.

Partner:

• Geologische Landesämter einiger Bundesländer (Deutschland)
• Montanuniversität Leoben (Österreich)
• Council for Geoscience (CGS - Republik Südafrika)
• Hauptverwaltung Geologie der Regierung der Republik Tadschikistan