A CONTRIBUTION TO THE EVALUATION OF REE IN AN EGYPTIAN PHOSPHATE DEPOSIT

Results are presented of ICP-AES determinations of 13 rare earth elements (REE), Sc and Y in 47 core samples of 10 bore holes in the phosphate deposit of the Abu-Tartur area, Western Desert, Egypt. The complete dissolution of the samples was achieved by digestion with HF/HNO3/HCl in a closed PTFE decomposition vessel. Such analytical fines were selected that showed no spectral interferences from the major constituents of the phosphate samples or from other REE in the samples. The precision for the determination of the individual elements for the whole procedure ranges from 0.8% to 4.0%. Also, smooth normalized chondrite and shale patterns were obtained. The results revealed that the total REE content in the investigated samples was between 0.8 and 2 mg/g, which is remarkably high when compared with many phosphate deposits in other parts of the world. The results also showed that the concentrations of individual REE as well as their total concentrations in the samples follow their P2O5 content, indicating that the REE may be accumulated within the phosphate fraction of the phosphate bearing sediments.