Using yttrium as an indicator to estimate total rare earth element concentration:a case study of anthracite-associated clays from northeastern Pennsylvania  

作　　者：Xiaojing Yang Daniel Kozar Daniel Gorski Anthony Marchese James Pagnotti Rusty Sutterlin Mohammad Rezaee Mark S.Klima Sarma V.Pisupati 

机构地区：[1]John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering and the EMS Energy Institute,Center for Critical Minerals,The Pennsylvania State University,110 Hosier Building,University Park,PA 16802,USA [2]Texas Mineral Resources Corporation.539 El Paso St,Sierra Blanca,TX 79851,USA [3]Pagnotti Enterprises,46 Public Square,Wilkes-Barre,PA 18701,USA [4]Inventure Renewables,Inc,161625th Avenue.Tuscaloosa,AL 35401,USA

出　　处：《International Journal of Coal Science & Technology》2020年第4期652-661,共10页国际煤炭科学技术学报（英文）

基　　金：the Department of Energy[Grant Number DE-FE-0030146]。

摘　　要：This study demonstrated using yttrium(Y)as an indicator to estimate the total rare earth element and Y contents(REY)in coal-associated samples and to facilitate selection of samples with high REY assays in a fast and inexpensive manner.More than 10 anthracite-associated samples were collected from each of three Pennsylvanian sites(sites B,J and C)based on Thorium gamma ray logging suggesting high REY content.Several samples from each site were analyzed by ICP-MS to determine the rare earth distribution patterns and to establish the site-specific linear equations of Y and REY.The Y contents of the remaining samples were measured by a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer,and the REY values were estimated based on the site-specific linear equation developed earlier.R-squared values above 0.70 were obtained for all the estimation equations from all three sites on both a whole sample basis and an ash basis.Previously,ash content has been widely used as an indicator of high REY content.This may not be applicable for a specific site.Site B in this study is an example where ash contents could not be statistically correlated with REY,so using Y for estimation is more applicable.The demonstrated sample screening process is suitable for samples from sites that share more similar distribution patterns(either MREY or LREY or HREY)as well as for samples from sites that share multiple distribution patterns(LREY/MREY/HREY)depending on the desirable accuracy.The demonstrated process lowers the analytical cost from$70 to 80 dollars per sample to$10-15 per sample while significantly reducing the processing time and acid consumption for ICP digestion.This is particularly true when a relatively large sample size is involved,for example,100 samples from one site analyzed by ICP-MS/OES.

关 键 词：Rare earth elements XRF analysis CORRELATIONS Prediction ICP analysis 

分 类 号：O614.33[理学—无机化学]