The Metallogenic relationship between minerals containing rare earth and radioactive elements

Exploration of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) with hundreds of diverse applications is considered as foundation for the development of advanced technologies, especially in the last two-decades. The use of them in technologies such as atomic energy, aerospace industries, advanced medical, high powered lasers and other sensitive technologies, the cause is that these elements are known as strategic metals. In most of Uranium prospecting points of Iran, particularly Central Iran, association and enrichment of REEs are known as the usual features. For this reason, based on the viewed relation between rare earth and radioactive elements and according to the importance of REEs exploration, in this study, their relation are studied and investigated in Baghak mine, central part of Sangan iron skarn ore as a different mineralization (skarn mineralization) with central Iran mineralizations using optical and electronic microscopes. Results show that in addition to existence of this relation in central Iran mineralizations, between REEs and radioactive elements in iron skarn deposit are also seen such relation. In finally, according to existence of such relation between rare earth and radioactive elements and based on the thermodynamic and geochemical similarities, radiation measurement methods could be considered as effective methods to explore REEs. The mentioned sampling pattern for exploration of REEs could provide a very appropriate viewpoint in progression of exploration, extraction and ore dressing of this ore mineral to researchers and managers.

Keywords:

Rare earth elements , radioactive elements , Baghak mine , Sangan iron ore mines.