Occurrence State and Enrichment Mechanism of Rhenium in the Qianjiadian Uranium Deposit in the Southwestern Songliao Basin, Northeast China

Abstract

Rhenium is an extremely rare critical metal element in Earth’s continental crust. Owing to its extremely high melting point and heat-stable crystalline structure, rhenium is an essential component of alloy materials used in high-performance aircraft engines. Demand for rhenium resources is therefore growing. Currently, most rhenium is produced as a byproduct of molybdenum mining in porphyry copper–molybdenum deposits. Research has therefore focused on the enrichment characteristics of rhenium in this type of deposit, with little attention paid to rhenium in other types of deposits. This study reports the occurrence state and enrichment mechanism of rhenium in the Qianjiadian sandstone-type uranium deposit in the Songliao Basin, Northeast China. Sequential extraction revealed that the average proportions of different forms of rhenium are as follows: water-soluble (57.86%) > organic-sulfide-bound (13.11%) > residual (12.26%) > Fe/Mn oxide-bound (10.67%) > carbonate-bound (6.10%). Combining mineralogical analysis techniques such as SEM-EDS, EMPA, and XRD, it has been established that rhenium does not occur as a substitute in sulfides (e.g., molybdenite) or uranium minerals in various types of deposits. Instead, it is mainly adsorbed onto clay minerals and Fe-Ti oxides, and in a small number of other minerals (pyrite, organic matter, and pitchblende). Rhenium is similar to redox-sensitive elements such as uranium and vanadium, and it is transported in a water-soluble form by oxidizing groundwater to the redox transition zone for enrichment. However, unlike uranium, which generally forms as uranium minerals, rhenium is mainly adsorbed and enriched onto clay minerals (kaolinite and interlayered illite–smectite). Most of the rhenium in sandstone-type uranium deposits occurs in an ion-adsorption state, and is easily leached and extracted during in-situ leaching mining of uranium ores. This type of deposit demonstrates excellent production potential and will become a crucial recoverable resource for future rhenium supply.