Third rare earth mineral found in Bayan Obo deposit

Chinese geologists have discovered a previously unknown rare earth mineral in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, reflecting the intricate geochemistry and resource diversity of the deposit.

The rare earth, named by the International Mineralogical Association as Huanghoite-(Nd), is a new carbonate mineral dominated by neodymium, the "magnet metal" that underpins electric vehicle motors and offshore wind turbines.

It was found in the main ore body of the Bayan Obo deposit, the world's largest rare earth mine, by a research team from the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, and the Inner Mongolia geological survey institute.

According to Zhao Laishi, the research team leader and a researcher from the State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources of the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), the mineral belongs to the rare earth carbonate mineral family and is uniquely enriched with neodymium elements.

Neodymium is a key component of high-performance permanent magnets. It is in high demand in industries such as new energy vehicles, wind turbines, and electronic information technology.

The Bayan Obo deposit has been a treasure trove for mineralogy and ore deposit studies. Over 210 minerals have been discovered there, with the proportion of new minerals steadily increasing each year. Zhao noted that the discovery of Huanghoite-(Nd) further underscores the deposit's complex geochemistry and diverse resources.

He said that the research team conducted systematic field geological surveys and geochemical analyses, showing distribution and occurrence patterns of rare earth elements in the deposit. Following these findings, the team established a model for the ore body's zoning characteristics and metallogenesis, a process of mineral deposit formation in geographical space and time.

Huanghoite-(Nd) was identified through mineral micro-area analysis using this metallogenic model. Previously, the team also discovered two other new rare earth minerals in the deposit.