A Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) has found large deposits of 15 rare earth elements (REE) in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district, a report said on Tuesday.
The Times of India reported that REE of the lanthanide series is a critical component in many electronic devices we use in our daily lives, like cellphones, televisions, computers, automobiles and in various industrial applications.
The report said that the NGRI scientists were conducting a survey to look for non-traditional rocks like syenites in Anantapur and have successfully identified the host minerals. The major REEs identified include allanite, ceriate, thorite, columbite, tantalite, apatite, zircon, monazite, pyrochlore euxenite and fluorite.
NGRI scientist PV Sunder Raju told the daily that zircon of varying shapes was observed in Anantapur. Moreover, the monazite grains showed high-order multiple colours with radial cracks within grains, suggesting the presence of radioactive elements.
Raju further said more feasibility studies will be conducted by deep-drilling to learn more about these REEs. These elements are also used in clean energy, aerospace, defence and in manufacturing permanent magnets - a key component of modern electronics - wind turbines, jet aircraft and several other products.
High technology widely uses REEs because of their luminescent and catalytic properties. The assessment of REEs with implications for metallogeny is now underway at alkaline syenite complexes in Andhra, NGRI scientists said
The alkaline complexes are located west and southwest of the Paleoproterozoic Cuddapah basin in the Anantapur district.
According to the report, a scientist said several alkaline syenite deposits earlier reported by the Geological Survey of India were looked at afresh for REE-bearing minerals.
The potential hubs for these REE-bearing minerals are Dancherla, Peddavaduguru, Danduvaripalle, Reddypalle Chintalchervu and the Pulikonda complex in Anantapur and Chittoor districts. The main Dancherla site is oval-shaped, with an area of 18sqkm. He added that three hundred samples were subjected to further studies to understand the potential of REE minerals.
Previously, 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves were found for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir.
Watch: From Milk Company To Maggi Crisis: Time Travel Through The Nestlé Story