WUHAN - A team of Chinese geologists has identified a large deposit of a previously unknown rare-earth mineral in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.
The rare earth, officially named by the International Mineralogical Association as Huanghoite-(Nd), is a new carbonate mineral dominated by neodymium, the "magnet metal" that underpins electric-vehicle motors and offshore wind turbines.
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Researchers from the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) and the Inner Mongolia geological survey institute discovered the reserves in the mid-section of the main orebody within the Bayan Obo deposit, the world's largest rare-earth mine.
Zhao Laishi, who led the team, said the find reflects the deposit's intricate geochemistry and resource diversity.
