Methods of enrichment

The classification of ores and deposits of rare metals

Ores types	The main methods of primary enrichment	The main methods of finishing concentrates
Minerals of titanium, zirconium, tantalum, niobium and other.	The gravity processes	Magnetic and electric separation
Ores of lithium, beryllium and cesium	Flotation with fatty acid. Pre-enrichment in heavy suspensions	Selective flotation
Refractory ores of rare metals (tantalum, niobium, zirconium, hafnium, titanium)	The gravity processes with magnetic separation and flotation	Magnetic and electrical separation with gravity and flotation
Uranium ore	Hydrometallurgical processes	The extraction of uranium from pulps using ion-exchange resins

3. Give general principles of study of rare metal raw material

Rare metals play an important role in the development of major branches of industry, such as vacuum equipment, semiconductor electronics, nuclear power and rocket production, as well as in production of special steels and hard, refractory and corrosion – resistant alloys.

Accordingly, the composition of the ore minerals are sulfide, oxidized, native and others. Industrial used Minerals of rare metals, usually presented non-sulfide compounds: oxides, silicates, aluminum silicates. Simple or complex oxides are titanium minerals ilmenite, rutile, etc .; minerals of tantalum and niobium-tantaoite, colombite; zirconium-mineral baddeleyite.

Sources of rare metals

Rare-metal pegmatites - coarse-grained rock consisting mainly of quartz and feldspar and rich in minerals containing volatile substances (water, fluoride, boron, chlorine). For the rare-metal pegmatites characteristic zonal structure with separate clusters of pollucite, lepidolite, spodumene, beryl. Because of zoning and large crystal size (beryl - up to 2 m, spodumene - up to 10 m in length) pegmatite veins develop manually.

Placers - rare-metal minerals, resistant to chemical and physical weathering accumulate in placers. Group minerals tantalite - columbite are concentrated in placers near the demolition, indigenous source of which can be rare-metal pegmatites and granites. Reserves these placers are usually small.

Carbonatites – products of crystallization of deep carbonate melts (magma). Carbonatite deposits and weathering crust (Nb), and indigenous carbonatite deposits (La, Ce, Pr, Nd) were discovered and explored after the Second World War. Compared with pegmatites and placers it was rich and very large fields, two of which were quickly mastered the industry and have become the main sources of niobium and rare earth raw materials in the world.

Alkaline granites - characterized by a constant a collection of useful components and the relative stability of their content: 0,02-0,04%. Rare-metal alkali granites - is the largest reserves of deposits of tantalum and rare earth elements yttrium and zirconium largest primary deposits.