Study on process mineralogy of pegmatite-type rare-metal Yelonggou deposits in Keeryin area of western Sichuan province

Focusing on the ores derived from pegmatite-type rare-metal deposits located in the Keeryin area of western Sichuan province, and through diverse rock and mineral analytical methods such as chemical analysis, optical microscopical analysis, MLA mineral automatic analysis, electron probe analysis and monomineralic analysis, the structure, texture, chemical composition, mineral composition, dissemination characteristic of carrier minerals of lithium, niobium and tantalum as well as chemical constituent of major minerals of sampled ores have been detailed studied in this paper, aiming to reveal the occurrence state of valuable elements(e.g.lithium, niobium, tantalum and rubidium) in the sampled ores.The results indicate that the sampled ores pertain to low-grade lithium polymetallic ores.The lithium mostly occurs in the spodumene, which contains 7.21% Li₂O and reaches a lithium-partition ratio of 87.35%.Niobium and tantalum dominantly occur in niobium-tantalum-iron-series minerals.The results of this process mineralogical study reveal that the lithium is the main target element of the sampled ores, whereas the niobium, tantalum and rubidium barely achieve the threshold value of comprehensive recycle and the caesium and beryllium have lower industrial grade than the threshold value of comprehensive recovery.