The two new niobium-scandium minerals, named Oboniobite and Scandium-fluoro-eckermannite, were discovered in the Bayan Obo deposit in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The discovery was made thanks to a collaboration between the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the CAS, Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union Co., Ltd., the Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute and the Central South University, confirmed the office of CAS advertisement to the Xinhua news agency on Thursday.
CAS academician Li
Niobium and scandium are extremely rare and strategically critical metals. Niobium is mainly used in specialty steels, superconducting materials and in the aerospace industry, while scandium is widely used in aluminum-scandium alloys and solid oxide fuel cells.
Li said the new minerals contain valuable elements that have significant applications in fields such as new materials, new energy, information technology, aerospace, national defense and military industry, and are of great importance to the country's economic and social development.
Li Xiao, general manager of Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union Co., Ltd., a major Chinese steelmaker, said Bayan Obo has abundant mineral resources, including iron, niobium, scandium, thorium and fluorite.
Since 1959, 18 new minerals have been discovered in this deposit, and Oboniobite and Scandium-fluoro-eckermannite are the 19th and 20th discovered here, Li Xiao said.
Fan Hongrui, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of CAS, said oboniobite is yellow-brown to brown in color. It is plate-shaped and its size varies from 20 to 100 micrometers.
Scandium-fluoro-eckermannite is the first scandium-containing mineral discovered in China. It is named after CAS academician Zhai Mingguo in honor of his outstanding contribution to the study of China's mineral deposits. It is pale yellow or light blue and columnar, with a size of up to 350 micrometers, Fan said.
The discovery was made thanks to a collaboration between the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the CAS, Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union Co., Ltd., the Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute and the Central South University, confirmed the office of CAS advertisement to the Xinhua news agency on Thursday.
CAS academician Li
Niobium and scandium are extremely rare and strategically critical metals. Niobium is mainly used in specialty steels, superconducting materials and in the aerospace industry, while scandium is widely used in aluminum-scandium alloys and solid oxide fuel cells.
Li said the new minerals contain valuable elements that have significant applications in fields such as new materials, new energy, information technology, aerospace, national defense and military industry, and are of great importance to the country's economic and social development.
Li Xiao, general manager of Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union Co., Ltd., a major Chinese steelmaker, said Bayan Obo has abundant mineral resources, including iron, niobium, scandium, thorium and fluorite.
Since 1959, 18 new minerals have been discovered in this deposit, and Oboniobite and Scandium-fluoro-eckermannite are the 19th and 20th discovered here, Li Xiao said.
Fan Hongrui, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of CAS, said oboniobite is yellow-brown to brown in color. It is plate-shaped and its size varies from 20 to 100 micrometers.
Scandium-fluoro-eckermannite is the first scandium-containing mineral discovered in China. It is named after CAS academician Zhai Mingguo in honor of his outstanding contribution to the study of China's mineral deposits. It is pale yellow or light blue and columnar, with a size of up to 350 micrometers, Fan said.
