New data on mineral forms of rare metals in phosphogypsum wastes

Phosphogypsum is an industrial waste of the processing of Khibiny apatite concentrate into chemical fertilizers by sulfurous technology. This is a valuable and promising technogenous rare-metal feedstock. The samples of fresh and old phosphogypsum were studied using precision physical techniques of analytical electron microscopy and X-ray spectral microanalysis. These studies allowed the discovery of new and unusual mineral compositions including strontium and rare earth metals in mineral fractions of phosphogypsum. The appearance of a new generation of technogenous rare-metal raw material permits us to characterize the prospects of its industrial use and to develop nonwaste technologies of its complex treatment.