@inbook{95ae606d174549e094a737d41bb5d331,
title = "REY-Rich Mud: A Deep-Sea Mineral Resource for Rare Earths and Yttrium",
abstract = "This chapter focuses on newly discovered extensive deposits of deep-sea mud containing high concentrations of rare-earth elements and yttrium (REY). The deep-sea REY-rich muds are found in pelagic region of the Pacific Ocean and very recently also in the Indian Ocean. REY-rich muds are characterized by the following five advantages: (1) tremendous resource potential by virtue of their wide distribution, (2) high REY concentrations with significant heavy REE enrichment, (3) a stratiform distribution that allows relatively simple and cost-effective exploration, (4) very low concentrations of radioactive elements such as Th and U, and (5) ease of extraction of REY by acid leaching. These features demonstrate that the REY-rich mud could constitute a highly promising REY resource for the future. A system to mine REY-rich muds is also presented. This system can be developed based on a system developed and tested for sulfide-rich muds in the Red Sea and manganese nodules in the Pacific Ocean, although pressurized air-lift system will be needed to lift REY-rich muds from very deep water.",
keywords = "Acid leaching, Apatite, Development system, HREE enrichment, Pacific Ocean, REY-rich mud, Rare-earth elements and yttrium",
author = "Kentaro Nakamura and Koichiro Fujinaga and Kazutaka Yasukawa and Yutaro Takaya and Junichiro Ohta and Shiki Machida and Satoru Haraguchi and Yasuhiro Kato",
note = "Funding Information: This research was financially supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) through Grants-in-Aid No. 22226015 to Y. K. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 Elsevier B.V.",
year = "2015",
doi = "10.1016/B978-0-444-63260-9.00268-6",
language = "English",
series = "Handbook on the Physics and Chemistry of Rare Earths",
publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",
pages = "79--127",
booktitle = "Handbook on the Physics and Chemistry of Rare Earths",
}