Outline

Our investigation of the rare earth content of apatite revealed that the yearly worldwide production of apatite contains around 170,000 tons of rare earths (oxide-converted).

Details

It has long been known that apatite of magma or hydrothermal origin contains rare earth elements. For this research, we collected samples from major apatite-containing deposits worldwide, and measured the quantity of rare earths they contained. Using these results and published data, we estimated that the yearly worldwide production of apatite contains around 170,000 tons of rare earths (oxide-converted). This amount exceeds the current annual production of rare earths (approximately 130,000 tons). We also discovered that apatite from certain deposits is rich in the heavy rare earth elements that are indispensable for the production of rare earth magnets. We expect that the growing demand for rare earths will in time likely require their extraction and production from apatite.

Watanabe, Y. (2008) To realize the stable supply of heavy rare earth elements. JEITA Review, v. 561, p. 2-7. Ishihara, S., Hoshino, M. and Moriyama, T. (2007) Trace elements of apatites, particularly of REE, in the S- and I-type granites. Shigen-Chishitsu, v. 57, p. 115-125.:

Applications

Production of apatite as a raw material for fertilizers continues to grow. The results of this research will be used to determine the most suitable deposits for producing rare earths as a by-product of apatite production, and as basic reference material when conducting experiments on rare earth extraction.

Contact person

Yasushi Watanabe, e-mail y-watanabe{at}aist.go.jp