A combined electron and synchrotron micro- and nano-scale exploration of light rare earth element distribution and speciation in bauxite residues of lateritic and karstic origin

Securing a reliable supply of rare earth elements (REEs) while mitigating environmental and social impacts from primary production is crucial for many nations and may require the consideration of secondary sources derived from the anthroposphere. Bauxite residues (BRs), byproducts of alumina production generated in large volumes worldwide, contain substantial untapped reserves of REEs. However, limited knowledge of REE distribution and speciation in such complex matrices hampers the development of appropriate and cost-effective extraction processes. Particularly, the detection and characterization of light rare earth elements (LREEs) in BRs present significant technical challenges, which we aim to address in this publication through the coupling of electron and synchrotron X-ray microscopies. This multi-technique approach revealed that LREEs in BRs mainly exist as concentrated particles, mostly submicrometer in size. It allowed qualitative identification of these particles based on REE composition, oxidation state, and elemental colocalization, as well as quantitative size distribution analysis to infer speciation at the bulk-scale. Therefore, despite significant variability at the microscopic level, distinct differences were observed between the BRs of karstic origin, predominantly containing CeO₂-type (+IV) particles, while lateritic BRs mainly consist of mixed-LREE (+III) particles with Ce depletion, including monazite ((LREEs)PO₄). This newly acquired knowledge is valuable for future applied research on REE recovery from BRs.