Executive Summary : | India has numerous base metal and precious metal deposits for the production of Pb, Zn, Cu, Au, and Ag. During the processing of sulphide ores, rare metals of strategic uses are recovered as by-products. Ni, Au, Ag, Mo, and minor Co, Te, and Se are recovered from copper ore processing, while Ag and Cd are recovered as by products from poly-metallic Pb-Zn ores. However, a substantial quantity of pyrrhotite, pyrite, and arsenopyrite associated with these deposits are not considered ore minerals and are left behind or not processed for recovery of any metals. India needs to study its occurrences in detail for future prospects and recovery opportunities. Most of these strategic/rare metals are recovered as by-products, which are highly demanded in electric vehicles, space technology, medical equipment manufacturing, electronic gadgets, glass manufacturing, automobile industries, paint industries, and solar cells. To reduce over dependency on global players, countries like India need to adopt a strategy to see recovery opportunities and reduce overdependence on global players. A detailed mineralogical and mineral chemical characterization will be carried out to evaluate the concentration of these rare metals associated with precious and base metal deposits in India. Samples will be collected from operating mines owned by Hindustan Zinc Limited in Rajasthan, different Cu mines, and Hutti gold mine. Determination of these elements will be done in individual minerals using LA-ICPMS and EPMA, as well as in bulk ore minerals using ICP-OES/ICP-MS. The project aims to assess recovery opportunities of rare metals used in technology development and green energy industries, as well as help in mineral conservation and waste utilization. |