GEO-CM:A systematic investigation of sorption mechanisms of light REEs on iron oxides: roles of mineral morphology, crystallinity, and surface sites

GEO-CM：轻稀土在氧化铁上的吸附机制的系统研究：矿物形态、结晶度和表面位点的作用

• 批准号: 2327527
• 负责人: Tingying Xu
• 金额: $ 29.69万
• 依托单位: Oklahoma State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2327527&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: GEO; CM; systematic; investigation; sorption

Rare-earth elements (REEs) are critical materials to many leading-edge technologies that underlie clean energy transportation, energy generation and storage, communication, and computing. The availability of REEs is of special concern due to the lack of adequate U.S. domestic production. REEs enrichment in minerals in highly weathered environments represents a promising opportunity for future exploration. However, major knowledge gaps exist in our understanding of the fundamental geochemical controls on REEs accumulation in secondary minerals like clays and iron/aluminum (hydr)oxides (common products of rock weathering), especially the mechanisms of how REEs bind to and are mobilized from mineral surfaces. This project seeks to obtain the foundational scientific knowledge on REEs interactions with oxide minerals, which is required to accurately predict the occurrence and formation of REEs deposits via rock weathering and could be informative in new ways to extract these critical materials. Of equal importance will be the direct involvement and training of students at multiple levels from high school to graduate students to attract the potential next generation of scientists into STEM disciplines.The effects of oxide mineralogy on the sorption mechanisms of REEs could play important roles in controlling REE fate in weathering environments but are poorly understood. This project will reveal these previously unrecognized factors using iron oxides as the model system. The overall goal is to elucidate how mineral structure, crystallinity, morphology, and interfacial structure dynamics could affect REEs sorption reactions at mineral-water interfaces. Light REEs will be used as the probing elements and an integrated series of laboratory wet chemistry experiments and synchrotron-based X-ray techniques will be employed on both iron oxide particles and hematite single crystals to accomplish the research objectives. The proposed study will obtain insight into fundamental geochemical processes controlling the formation of these critical element deposits during rock weathering processes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

稀土元素 (REE) 是许多前沿技术的关键材料，这些技术是清洁能源运输、能源生产和存储、通信和计算的基础。由于美国国内产量不足，稀土元素的供应受到特别关注。强风化环境中矿物中稀土元素的富集为未来勘探提供了一个充满希望的机会。然而，我们对粘土和铁/铝（氢）氧化物（岩石风化的常见产物）等次生矿物中稀土元素积累的基本地球化学控制的理解存在重大知识差距，特别是稀土元素如何结合并从其中动员的机制矿物表面。该项目旨在获得有关稀土元素与氧化物矿物相互作用的基础科学知识，这是通过岩石风化准确预测稀土元素沉积物的出现和形成所必需的，并且可以为提取这些关键材料的新方法提供信息。 同样重要的是从高中到研究生等多个级别的学生的直接参与和培训，以吸引潜在的下一代科学家进入 STEM 学科。氧化物矿物学对 REE 吸附机制的影响可能在控制中发挥重要作用但人们对稀土元素在风化环境中的命运却知之甚少。该项目将使用氧化铁作为模型系统来揭示这些以前未被识别的因素。总体目标是阐明矿物结构、结晶度、形态和界面结构动力学如何影响矿泉水界面的稀土元素吸附反应。将使用轻稀土元素作为探测元素，并在氧化铁颗粒和赤铁矿单晶上采用一系列集成的实验室湿化学实验和基于同步加速器的 X 射线技术来完成研究目标。拟议的研究将深入了解控制岩石风化过程中这些关键元素沉积物形成的基本地球化学过程。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。