Abstract

The global distribution of tantalum deposits and their resources on the geological time scale is analyzed. The analysis is based on the data for 65 deposits of the world with a resource estimate from 2000 t of Ta₂O₅, which are classified into five types: pegmatitic, granitic, alkaligranitic, foidic, and carbonatitic. Placers and ore-bearing weathering crusts are taken into account with their bedrock sources. The variable features of the global metallogeny of tantalum are represented based on the comparison of the supercontinent cycle. It is established that the most significant resources in terms of quantity are confined in the deposits of the Rodinian cycle, among which the foidic type objects are fully dominant. Then, the descending order for the total resources is the Pangean and Columbian cycles, in which the main shares in the resources belong to the deposits of the alkaligranitic and foidic types. The Kenoran cycle, which lags behind them in its quantitative estimate, stands out in tantalum metallogeny by a monotype nature: only pegmatitic objects have created its resource potential. The current Amasian cycle is in the last place with respect to the total quantity of tantalum resources, which is explained to a great extent by its incompleteness. The resources of this cycle are distributed between the objects of the alkaligranitic, granitic, and pegmatitic types in comparable shares. It is noted that, due to their mineralogical features, the deposits of pegmatitic and granitic types make it possible to obtain the highest-quality concentrates and they are, therefore, of prime interest for tantalum extraction. The deposits of the pegmatitic types are known in all the cycles, while the deposits of the granitic type are known only in the Pangean and Amasian cycles. In total, they contain only one fifth of the estimated tantalum resources, and their major share accounts for the Kenoran and Pangean cycles.

中文翻译：

---

地质时期全球钽成矿

摘要

分析了钽矿床及其资源在地质时间尺度上的全球分布。该分析基于世界上65个矿床的数据以及2000 t的Ta ₂ O ₅的资源量估算，它分为五种类型：岩溶，花岗岩，碱粒岩，铁素体和碳酸盐岩。砂岩和含矿的风化壳与其基岩源一起考虑在内。基于超大陆循环的比较，显示了全球钽矿的可变特征。可以确定的是，数量上最重要的资源被限制在Rodinian循环的沉积物中，其中Foidic型物体是完全占优势的。然后，总资源的降序是潘氏和哥伦比亚循环，其中资源中的主要份额属于碱粒岩和浮岩型矿床。定量估计值落后于基诺兰循环的钽金属矿具有单一类型的特征：只有古文物才创造出其资源潜力。就钽资源总量而言，当前的阿马斯周期处于最后位置，这在很大程度上是由于其不完整造成的。此循环的资源以可比的份额分配在碱金，花岗岩和岩溶类型的对象之间。应当指出的是，由于其矿物学特征，岩溶和花岗岩类型的沉积物有可能获得最高质量的精矿，因此，它们是钽提取的主要关注点。岩溶类型的沉积物在所有循环中都是已知的，而花岗岩类型的沉积物仅在潘热斯和阿马西亚循环中是已知的。总体而言，它们仅占估计钽资源的五分之一，