Enrichment characteristics and sources of the critical metal yttrium in Zhijin rare earth-containing

• 作 者: Xingxiang Gong Shengwei Wu Yong Xia Zhengwei Zhang Shan He Zhuojun Xie Jiafei Xiao Haiying Yang Qingping Tan Yi Huang Yuhong Yang
• 机 构: Institute of Geochemistry,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Guiyang 550081,China;University of Chinese Aca
• 出 处: 地球化学学报（英文版）
• 发表日期: 2021年3期
• 关键词: Yttrium Phosphorites Rare earth elements Trace elements Enrichment processes

Yttrium(Y)is a critical metallic element that is used widely in modern scientific,technological,and industrial applications.Phosphorites in the Zhijin area of Guizhou Province,China,are famous for Y enrichment,but the enrichment characteristics and sources remain unclear.Previous studies suggested that the sources of rare earth elements(REEs,La-Lu)and Y(REYs,La-Lu+Y)were related to hydrothermal deposition.However,this study presents evidence refuting that hypothesis,with major and trace elemental data collected with quadrupole-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry(Q-ICP-MS)analysis.These data show that Y in Zhijin REYs-containing phosphorites has a normal distribution and is particularly enriched relative to other REYs.The Y enrichment degree is different at different ∑REY inter-vals.Specifically,the Y enrichment degree is higher at lower ∑REY values and lower at higher ∑REY values.The REYs-containing phosphorites show features of pri-mary phosphorites.Both REEs and Y have good correla-tions with P2O5 in the phosphorites with low REYs contents(total REYs＜535 ppm),whereas at high REYs contents(total REYs≥535 ppm),REEs have a good correlation with P2O5 but Y does not.Inconsistent enrichment processes of REYs are suggestive of complex sources of Y.Thus,seafloor hydrothermal fluids were not the direct source of Y.Normal seawater mixed with ter-restrial sources might have contributed to the origin of Y here.This study could lead to improvements in Y mineral resource explorations and the situation involving the global REYs supply crisis.