Compilation of gallium resource data for bauxite deposits

Schulte, Ruth F.; Foley, Nora K.

doi:10.3133/ofr20131272

Cited by 22 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…This is in line with the report by U.S. Geological Survey, where they concluded a similar presence of Ga in karstic and lateritic bauxites. They summarise the world's average Ga concentration in all analysed bauxite deposits as being 57 mg/kg [63], which is comparable to the present analysis of 57-66 mg/kg in all currently analysed bauxites. Concentrations are said to be ranging from 12-52 mg/kg Ga with an average of 40 mg/kg in bauxite districts of Greece and Turkey [63].…”

Section: Metals (And Metalloids) That Accumulate To Liquorsupporting

confidence: 64%

Distribution of Selected Trace Elements in the Bayer Process

Vind

Alexandri

Vassiliadou³

et al. 2018

Metals

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Abstract:The aim of this work was to achieve an understanding of the distribution of selected bauxite trace elements (gallium (Ga), vanadium (V), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), rare earth elements (REEs), scandium (Sc)) in the Bayer process. The assessment was designed as a case study in an alumina plant in operation to provide an overview of the trace elements behaviour in an actual industrial setup. A combination of analytical techniques was used, mainly inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and optical emission spectroscopy as well as instrumental neutron activation analysis. It was found that Ga, V and As as well as, to a minor extent, Cr are principally accumulated in Bayer process liquors. In addition, Ga is also fractionated to alumina at the end of the Bayer processing cycle. The rest of these elements pass to bauxite residue. REEs and Sc have the tendency to remain practically unaffected in the solid phases of the Bayer process and, therefore, at least 98% of their mass is transferred to bauxite residue. The interest in such a study originates from the fact that many of these trace constituents of bauxite ore could potentially become valuable by-products of the Bayer process; therefore, the understanding of their behaviour needs to be expanded. In fact, Ga and V are already by-products of the Bayer process, but their distribution patterns have not been provided in the existing open literature.

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Section: Metals (And Metalloids) That Accumulate To Liquorsupporting

confidence: 64%

Distribution of Selected Trace Elements in the Bayer Process

Vind

Alexandri

Vassiliadou³

et al. 2018

Metals

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“…However, they are comparable to those of worldwide bauxite deposits (average 57 ppm Ga; [81]), the main source of the global Ga supply [14]. Similar Ga enrichment to that at Mt Carlton has previously been documented in whole rock samples from the advanced argillic alteration zone at the Paradise Peak HS deposit in Nevada (up to 120 ppm Ga; [82]).…”

Section: Ga Enrichment In Al-bearing Sulfates and Silicatesmentioning

confidence: 54%

Mineralogical Distribution of Germanium, Gallium and Indium at the Mt Carlton High-Sulfidation Epithermal Deposit, NE Australia, and Comparison with Similar Deposits Worldwide

et al. 2017

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Germanium, gallium and indium are in high demand due to their growing usage in high-tech and green-tech applications. However, the mineralogy and the mechanisms of concentration of these critical elements in different types of hydrothermal ore deposits remain poorly constrained. We investigated the mineralogical distribution of Ge, Ga and In at the Mt Carlton high-sulfidation epithermal deposit in NE Australia, using electron probe microanalysis and laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Parageneses from which selected minerals were analyzed include: Stage 1 acid sulfate alteration (alunite), Stage 2A high-sulfidation enargite mineralization (enargite, argyrodite, sphalerite, pyrite, barite), Stage 2B intermediate-sulfidation sphalerite mineralization (sphalerite, pyrite, galena) and Stage 3 hydrothermal void fill (dickite). Moderate to locally high concentrations of Ga were measured in Stage 1 alunite (up to 339 ppm) and in Stage 3 dickite (up to 150 ppm). The Stage 2A ores show enrichment in Ge, which is primarily associated with argyrodite (up to 6.95 wt % Ge) and Ge-bearing enargite (up to 2189 ppm Ge). Co-existing sphalerite has comparatively low Ge content (up to 143 ppm), while Ga (up to 1181 ppm) and In (up to 571 ppm) are higher. Sphalerite in Stage 2B contains up to 611 ppm Ge, 2829 ppm Ga and 2169 ppm In, and locally exhibits fine colloform bands of an uncharacterized Zn-In mineral with compositions close to CuZn 2 (In,Ga)S 4 . Barite, pyrite and galena which occur in association with Stage 2 mineralization were found to play negligible roles as carriers of Ge, Ga and In at Mt Carlton. Analyzed reference samples of enargite from seven similar deposits worldwide have average Ge concentrations ranging from 12 to 717 ppm (maximum 2679 ppm). The deposits from which samples showed high enrichment in critical elements in this study are all hosted in stratigraphic sequences that locally contain carbonaceous sedimentary rocks. In addition to magmatic-hydrothermal processes, such rocks could potentially be important for the concentration of critical elements in high-sulfidation epithermal deposits.

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“…High gallium values are reported in bauxite originating from alteration of alkali rocks (for example, nepheline syenite of Russia ranges up to 170 ppm gallium) and in some unusual karst deposits (table H2). In general, however, there appear to be no significant differences in gallium concentrations of karst-or lateritic-type bauxites (Schulte and Foley, 2014).…”

Section: H18 Critical Mineral Resources Of the United States-galliummentioning

confidence: 76%

“…Equations define slope of lines drawn through datasets for comparison; R 2 value is a measure of goodness of the fit of the line to the data. Modified from Rytuba and others (2003) with the addition of data for various globally distributed bauxite deposits from Schulte and Foley (2014). Table H3.…”

Section: Explanationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[Compiled from Burton and Culkin (1978), Bernstein (1986), Dutrizac and others (1986), Tervek and Fay (1986), Frimmel and others (1996), Schlüter and others (2003), Ye and others (2011), and Schulte and Foley (2014 (Tervek and Fay, 1986); however, most feldspar contains much less than 200 ppm gallium (table H3). Gallium is retained in clay minerals, such as kaolinite and smectite, and in aluminum hydroxide minerals during weathering, which accounts for the higher gallium contents in many clay-bearing rocks and bauxites (table H2).…”

Section: Explanationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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