Rare Earth Element and Yttrium (REY) Hyper-Enriched Karst Bauxites of the Mercedes-Aceitillar Mining District, Sierra de Bahoruco,SW Dominican Republic

Rare earth elements, including yttrium (REYs), are the most sought-after among the so-called critical or strategic elements for the low-carbon energy industry. In the past decade, karst bauxite deposits have been targeted as potential nonconventional sources of these elements. The karst bauxite depo...

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Autores: Domínguez-Carretero, Diego, Proenza Fernández, Joaquín Antonio, Aiglsperger, Thomas Hans, Villanova de Benavent, Cristina, Torró i Abat, Lisard, Pujol Solà, Núria, Bover-Arnal, Telm, Tisora, Àngel, Domènech, Carles, Ramírez, Andrés, Rodríguez, Julio, 1971-, Dold, Bernhard
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/227638
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227638
Access Level:acceso embargado
Palabra clave:Bauxita
Terres rares
Itri
Geoquímica
Bauxite
Rare earths
Yttrium
Geochemistry
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spelling Rare Earth Element and Yttrium (REY) Hyper-Enriched Karst Bauxites of the Mercedes-Aceitillar Mining District, Sierra de Bahoruco,SW Dominican RepublicDomínguez-Carretero, DiegoProenza Fernández, Joaquín AntonioAiglsperger, Thomas HansVillanova de Benavent, CristinaTorró i Abat, LisardPujol Solà, NúriaBover-Arnal, TelmTisora, ÀngelDomènech, CarlesRamírez, AndrésRodríguez, Julio, 1971-Dold, BernhardBauxitaTerres raresItriGeoquímicaBauxiteRare earthsYttriumGeochemistryRare earth elements, including yttrium (REYs), are the most sought-after among the so-called critical or strategic elements for the low-carbon energy industry. In the past decade, karst bauxite deposits have been targeted as potential nonconventional sources of these elements. The karst bauxite deposits from the Mercedes-Aceitillar mining district, classified as Fe-rich bauxites and bauxites sensu stricto, contain anomalously high REY contents oscillating between 514 and 28,787 ppm (median of 1,489 ppm), making them the most REY-enriched karst bauxites globally. Most of the samples studied are enriched in light rare earth elements (La-Nd; up to 7,449 ppm) and Y (up to 14,830 ppm). However, the most REY-enriched bauxites yield particularly high middle rare earth element (Sm-Gd; up to 4,579 ppm) and heavy rare earth element (Tb-Lu; up to 6,163 ppm) contents. In addition, the studied bauxites contain significant amounts of other critical metals, such as Sc and Ga (median of 62 and 39 ppm, respectively). The mineralogy consists predominantly of Al oxyhydroxides (mostly gibbsite), with variable amounts of Fe oxyhydroxides and kaolinite. The REY mineralogy in samples with high REY contents (>3,000 ppm) consists mainly of REY-bearing phosphates (e.g., monazite, xenotime, rhabdophane, churchite) and/or carbonates (bastnäsite group). In samples with moderate REY contents (<3,000 ppm), the main REY-bearing minerals are Al oxyhydroxides, onto which the REYs are most likely adsorbed. These findings indicate that the potential extraction of REYs and other critical metals, such as Sc and Ga, in the studied bauxites from the Mercedes-Aceitillar mining district could add, on average, an ~20% surplus to the revenue obtained from Al2O3 exploitation. The unprecedented REY contents discovered in these karst bauxites from the Dominican Republic present a unique opportunity to unravel critical metal concentration mechanisms in supergene environments and to develop new geochemical models for nonconventional REY deposits.Society of Economic Geologists202620262026infoinfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion31 p.application/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/227638Articles publicats en revistes (Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada)reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésVersió postprint del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5214Economic Geology, 2026https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5214(c) Society of Economic Geologists, 2026info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccessoai:recercat.cat:2445/2276382026-05-29T05:05:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Rare Earth Element and Yttrium (REY) Hyper-Enriched Karst Bauxites of the Mercedes-Aceitillar Mining District, Sierra de Bahoruco,SW Dominican Republic
title Rare Earth Element and Yttrium (REY) Hyper-Enriched Karst Bauxites of the Mercedes-Aceitillar Mining District, Sierra de Bahoruco,SW Dominican Republic
spellingShingle Rare Earth Element and Yttrium (REY) Hyper-Enriched Karst Bauxites of the Mercedes-Aceitillar Mining District, Sierra de Bahoruco,SW Dominican Republic
Domínguez-Carretero, Diego
Bauxita
Terres rares
Itri
Geoquímica
Bauxite
Rare earths
Yttrium
Geochemistry
title_short Rare Earth Element and Yttrium (REY) Hyper-Enriched Karst Bauxites of the Mercedes-Aceitillar Mining District, Sierra de Bahoruco,SW Dominican Republic
title_full Rare Earth Element and Yttrium (REY) Hyper-Enriched Karst Bauxites of the Mercedes-Aceitillar Mining District, Sierra de Bahoruco,SW Dominican Republic
title_fullStr Rare Earth Element and Yttrium (REY) Hyper-Enriched Karst Bauxites of the Mercedes-Aceitillar Mining District, Sierra de Bahoruco,SW Dominican Republic
title_full_unstemmed Rare Earth Element and Yttrium (REY) Hyper-Enriched Karst Bauxites of the Mercedes-Aceitillar Mining District, Sierra de Bahoruco,SW Dominican Republic
title_sort Rare Earth Element and Yttrium (REY) Hyper-Enriched Karst Bauxites of the Mercedes-Aceitillar Mining District, Sierra de Bahoruco,SW Dominican Republic
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Domínguez-Carretero, Diego
Proenza Fernández, Joaquín Antonio
Aiglsperger, Thomas Hans
Villanova de Benavent, Cristina
Torró i Abat, Lisard
Pujol Solà, Núria
Bover-Arnal, Telm
Tisora, Àngel
Domènech, Carles
Ramírez, Andrés
Rodríguez, Julio, 1971-
Dold, Bernhard
author Domínguez-Carretero, Diego
author_facet Domínguez-Carretero, Diego
Proenza Fernández, Joaquín Antonio
Aiglsperger, Thomas Hans
Villanova de Benavent, Cristina
Torró i Abat, Lisard
Pujol Solà, Núria
Bover-Arnal, Telm
Tisora, Àngel
Domènech, Carles
Ramírez, Andrés
Rodríguez, Julio, 1971-
Dold, Bernhard
author_role author
author2 Proenza Fernández, Joaquín Antonio
Aiglsperger, Thomas Hans
Villanova de Benavent, Cristina
Torró i Abat, Lisard
Pujol Solà, Núria
Bover-Arnal, Telm
Tisora, Àngel
Domènech, Carles
Ramírez, Andrés
Rodríguez, Julio, 1971-
Dold, Bernhard
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Bauxita
Terres rares
Itri
Geoquímica
Bauxite
Rare earths
Yttrium
Geochemistry
topic Bauxita
Terres rares
Itri
Geoquímica
Bauxite
Rare earths
Yttrium
Geochemistry
description Rare earth elements, including yttrium (REYs), are the most sought-after among the so-called critical or strategic elements for the low-carbon energy industry. In the past decade, karst bauxite deposits have been targeted as potential nonconventional sources of these elements. The karst bauxite deposits from the Mercedes-Aceitillar mining district, classified as Fe-rich bauxites and bauxites sensu stricto, contain anomalously high REY contents oscillating between 514 and 28,787 ppm (median of 1,489 ppm), making them the most REY-enriched karst bauxites globally. Most of the samples studied are enriched in light rare earth elements (La-Nd; up to 7,449 ppm) and Y (up to 14,830 ppm). However, the most REY-enriched bauxites yield particularly high middle rare earth element (Sm-Gd; up to 4,579 ppm) and heavy rare earth element (Tb-Lu; up to 6,163 ppm) contents. In addition, the studied bauxites contain significant amounts of other critical metals, such as Sc and Ga (median of 62 and 39 ppm, respectively). The mineralogy consists predominantly of Al oxyhydroxides (mostly gibbsite), with variable amounts of Fe oxyhydroxides and kaolinite. The REY mineralogy in samples with high REY contents (>3,000 ppm) consists mainly of REY-bearing phosphates (e.g., monazite, xenotime, rhabdophane, churchite) and/or carbonates (bastnäsite group). In samples with moderate REY contents (<3,000 ppm), the main REY-bearing minerals are Al oxyhydroxides, onto which the REYs are most likely adsorbed. These findings indicate that the potential extraction of REYs and other critical metals, such as Sc and Ga, in the studied bauxites from the Mercedes-Aceitillar mining district could add, on average, an ~20% surplus to the revenue obtained from Al2O3 exploitation. The unprecedented REY contents discovered in these karst bauxites from the Dominican Republic present a unique opportunity to unravel critical metal concentration mechanisms in supergene environments and to develop new geochemical models for nonconventional REY deposits.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026
2026
2026
info
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227638
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227638
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Versió postprint del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5214
Economic Geology, 2026
https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5214
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv (c) Society of Economic Geologists, 2026
info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv (c) Society of Economic Geologists, 2026
eu_rights_str_mv embargoedAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 31 p.
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Society of Economic Geologists
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Society of Economic Geologists
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada)
reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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