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Insights into rare earth elements and other critical raw materials from Castelo Branco massif alluvial deposits (Portugal)

2026-03Artigo científico Acesso aberto
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datacite.subject.fosCiências Naturais::Ciências da Terra e do Ambiente
datacite.subject.sdg11:Cidades e Comunidades Sustentáveis
datacite.subject.sdg13:Ação Climática
dc.contributor.authorSalgueiro, Rute
dc.contributor.authorSilva, Teresa
dc.contributor.authorMartín-Méndez, I.
dc.contributor.authorde Oliveira, Daniel Pipa Soares
dc.contributor.authorBatista, Maria Joao
dc.contributor.authorInverno, Carlos
dc.date.accessioned2026-04-16T13:54:53Z
dc.date.available2026-04-16T13:54:53Z
dc.date.issued2026-03
dc.description.abstractABSTRACT: Actual and future demands for critical raw materials and strategic raw materials (CRM/SRM) justify the global search for their potential sources and the exploration approaches to reach them. This study discloses the characterization of rare earth elements (REE) and other CRM-bearing alluvial heavy minerals samples sourced from the late- to post-tectonic Variscan Castelo Branco Massif (Portugal). It also contributes to an understanding of REE, Th, and U anomalies from local and correspondent stream sediments identified in past geochemical surveys. The alluvial samples were subjected to semiquantitative analysis of their minerals under a binocular microscope and to chemical analysis through portable X-ray fluorescence. A varied mineralogical association and a geochemical fingerprint compatible with their main granitic source was identified, revealing several minerals that carry CRM, in which REE and titanium minerals stood out. The titanium minerals have the higher average abundance (54%), being ilmenite-dominant (50%), as supported by the relatively higher Ti content of these samples (up to 28.88%). The REE minerals occur as accessories and have a summing average of 12%, in which monazite is the most abundant (4.97%). Geochemical data support alluvial monazite as the mineral with the highest REE and Th concentrations, as described in the literature on its granitic source. In addition, the magnetic fraction of samples (∼85%) that includes monazite and xenotime presents LREE anomalous contents (up to 4,557 mg/kg) in relation to their granitic source, NASC, and even to ΣREE anomalous values revealed by local stream sediments. The Th (up to 1,969 mg/kg) and U (up to 244 mg/kg) contents follow the same trend. Nevertheless, the nonmagnetic mineral fraction that includes apatite and zircon reaches higher U contents (up to 448 mg/kg). This study indicates that the SRM Ti (ilmenite) and LREE (monazite) have the potential to form placer deposits sourced from Castelo Branco granitic rocks in a wider area, which is supported by the regional Ti placers exploited in the past. The occurrence of other accessory elements/minerals with industrial applicability associated with those placers may also represent future added value.eng
dc.description.sponsorshipThe present work was benefited from the project “Inventariação e prospecção de terras raras nas regiões fronteiriças da Beira Baixa e do Norte Alentejo,” funded by the European Union Cross-Border INTERREG II program, and another project “Prospecção de Estanho e Volfrâmio e outros metais associados-Faixa Gois-Segura,” funded by Portuguese funds, PIDDAC.
dc.identifier.citationSalgueiro, R., Silva, T.P., Martín-Méndez, I., Oliveira, D., Batista, M.J., & Inverno, C. (2026). Insights into rare earth elements and other critical raw materials from Castelo Branco massif alluvial deposits (Portugal). In: Frontiers in Geochemistry, 2026, vol. 4, article 1766699. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgeoc.2026.1766699
dc.identifier.doi10.3389/fgeoc.2026.1766699
dc.identifier.issn2813-5962
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.9/6344
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherFrontiers Media
dc.relation.hasversionhttps://www.frontiersin.org/journals/geochemistry/articles/10.3389/fgeoc.2026.1766699/full
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectRare earth elements
dc.subjectCritical raw materials
dc.subjectStrategic raw materials
dc.subjectHeavy minerals
dc.subjectAlluvial
dc.subjectX-ray fluorescence
dc.subjectMineral exploration
dc.subjectCastelo Branco (Portugal)
dc.titleInsights into rare earth elements and other critical raw materials from Castelo Branco massif alluvial deposits (Portugal)eng
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.titleFrontiers in Geochemistry
oaire.citation.volume4
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNameSalgueiro
person.familyNameSilva
person.familyNamede Oliveira
person.familyNameBatista
person.familyNameInverno
person.givenNameRute
person.givenNameTeresa
person.givenNameDaniel Pipa Soares
person.givenNameMaria Joao
person.givenNameCarlos
person.identifier2216267
person.identifier92033
person.identifier.ciencia-idB916-C501-8AA3
person.identifier.ciencia-idA11D-DDD7-29F2
person.identifier.ciencia-idC01A-B2B1-C2D0
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-3740-2965
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-0306-1015
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-6338-8845
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-0197-1004
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-0806-5330
person.identifier.ridL-9359-2013
person.identifier.ridAGY-5000-2022
person.identifier.scopus-author-id7005481948
relation.isAuthorOfPublication428698aa-a691-4084-8e51-9dcf2f8c735a
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relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery428698aa-a691-4084-8e51-9dcf2f8c735a

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