Name the niobium Baotou mine! Chinese scientists discover new minerals of strategic key metals.
On October 3rd, new minerals were discovered by researchers Ge Xiangkun, Fan Guang and Li Ting of China Nuclear Geological Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (Beijing Geological Research Institute of Nuclear Industry).Nioboaotite (Nioboaotite)It was officially approved by the Committee on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (IMA CNMNC) of the International Mineral Association with the approval number IMA 2022-127a. This was discovered nearly 70 years after the establishment of China’s nuclear geological system.The 13th new mineralIt is another original new discovery of CNNC’s in-depth implementation of innovation-driven development strategy and strong support for basic innovation.
The niobium Baotou deposit is found in the world-famous Bayanobo deposit in Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, and occurs in niobium-rare earth-iron ore. It is brown to black, columnar or tabular, semi-autogenous to heteromorphic, and its particle size is about 20-80μ m。 Niobium Baotou ore is a silicate mineral rich in Ba, Nb, Ti, Fe and Cl, and its ideal formula is Ba4(Ti2.5Fe2+1.5)Nb4Si4O28Cl, belonging to tetragonal crystal system and space group I41a (# 88).
Backscatter electron image of Niobium Baotou mine
In the picture, Bao-Nb— Niobium Baotou mine, Py— Pyrite, Mnz-Ce— Cerium monazite, Dol— Dolomite, Qz — Shi Ying, Clb-Mn— Keywords manganese-niobite, Aes-Ce-Ce refractory stone, Bsn-Ce— Keywords bastnasite, Syn-Ce— parisite
Baiyunebo deposit is rich in mineral species. Up to now, more than 150 minerals have been discovered, including 16 new minerals. Nb-Baotou mine is the 17th new mineral discovered in this deposit, and it is a Nb-rich analog discovered in Baotou mine in 1960s. Through this study, the problem of electricity price balance in Baotou mine, which has been debated for a long time in the international mineral circles, has been solved, and it has also laid a theoretical foundation for the research of niobium Baotou mine. Nb-rich Nb-bearing Baotou mine not only increases the types of niobium minerals in the deposit, but also provides a new research perspective for the mechanism of niobium enrichment and integration, and provides a new direction for the development of strategic key metals such as niobium.
Crystal structure diagram of niobium Baotou ore [001]
The discovery and research of new minerals belong to the category of basic scientific research, which is an important embodiment of human beings’ continuous understanding and discovery of unknown things in nature, and reflects the mineralogical research level of a country. Beijing Geological Research Institute of Nuclear Industry of China National Nuclear Corporation has given full play to the leading role of scientific and technological innovation, systematically established a mineral research technology system, and made new breakthroughs in the field of new mineral research in recent years, leading to the discovery of 11 new minerals, which has made important contributions to China’s new mineral research.