Research Projects

Rare earth elements (REE) are crucial components of daily life and are essential in modern high-technology applications and energy equipment. The demand for REE has grown significantly, with a growth rate of 5-10% per year. However, production and supply chains are limited due to rare occurrences and discoveries of REE deposits. Over 36% of the world's estimated rare earth oxide reserves are located in China, with a major share of global production coming from only a few China-based deposits. This dominance raises international concern about security, as REE plays a critical role in electronic, military, and environmental applications. India, despite containing 6.9% of the total global reserves, has only 1.4% of the total global supply. This is due to limited REE exploration in India, particularly in placer deposits, which are enriched with thorium and uranium, making it an 'atomic' mineral. This necessitates exploration for REE in other resources, such as weathering profiles of alkaline rocks and ion-adsorption type deposits. Currently, only reconnaissance studies are available, and no comprehensive understanding is known on the behavior, occurrence, and selective partitioning of REE in typical minerals of alkaline granitoids. The humid tropical climates of southern India are favourable for the development of thick lateritic profiles and potential residual-type REE deposits. This research aims to address this gap by systematically studying REE occurrence and behavior in primary rock groups and their remobilization and enrichment in weathered crusts.

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