Chinese geologists have discovered two new minerals at the Bayan Obo rare earth mine, bringing the total number of recorded minerals there to 20.
Bayan Obo rare earth mine in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo: CFP).
The two new niobium-scandium minerals are named Oboniobite and Scandio-fluoro-eckermannite. These minerals were discovered at the Bayan Obo mine in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This discovery resulted from a collaboration between the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Baotou Steel Union Company, the Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute, and Central South University, as reported by Interesting Engineering on July 7. Li Xianhua, a scholar from CAS, announced the discovery on behalf of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics. The International Mineralogical Association has confirmed the existence of these new minerals and approved their names.
Both niobium and scandium are extremely rare key metals. Niobium is primarily used in specialty steels, superconducting materials, and the aerospace industry, while scandium is widely used in aluminum-scandium alloys and solid oxide fuel cells. According to Li, the new minerals contain many valuable elements with significant applications in fields such as new materials, energy, information technology, defense, and military, contributing to the enhancement of socio-economic development.
Li Xiao, the general director of the Inner Mongolia Steel Union Company, a major steel producer in China, stated that Bayan Obo has abundant mineral reserves such as iron, niobium, scandium, thorium, and fluorite. Since 1959, 18 new minerals have been discovered at this mine. Oboniobite and Scandio-fluoro-eckermannite are the 19th and 20th minerals found here.
Fan Hongrui, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics CAS, shared that Oboniobite ranges in color from yellow-brown to brown. It is found in a flat plate form measuring between 20 and 100 micrometers (1 micrometer equals 0.001 millimeters). Scandio-fluoro-eckermannite is the first scandium-containing mineral discovered in China, named after scholar Zhai Mingguo at CAS to honor his outstanding contributions to mineral resource research in China. This mineral is yellowish or blue in color and cylindrical in shape, measuring up to 350 micrometers.
