Research Projects

The increasing demand for greener energy resources that could supplement and eventually replace fossil-fuel-based resources has turned our attention towards rare elements that have the potential to power automobiles and be utilized in energy-storage devices. Pegmatites are excellent repositories for several of these rare elements, particularly Li, REE, Cs, Be and Nb-Ta and assessing their economic potential is gaining greater significance. Two pegmatite occurrences, one in Koderma, Jharkhand and the other in Mandya region, Karnataka have the potential for becoming sources for these elements. The description of these pegmatites following new classification schemes proposed by multiple researchers and a better understanding about their petrogenesis will help in the correct identification of the economin mineral potential of the Koderma and Mandya pegmatites. Detailed geochemical, mineralogical, mineral chemical and isotopic studies on these two pegmatite occurrences using modern analytical techniques is proposed to be carried out in the project. The outcome of the research is expected to greatly improve our understanding about the genesis of pegmatites, their emplacement and their economic significance.