Determination of Rare Earths and Other Trace Elements in Ore Samples of Mongolia by WDXRF and INAA

Abstract

Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) and Instrumental Neutron Activation
Analyses (INAA) were used to determine the REE and other trace elements in rare earth ore samples from province Dornogovi, Lugiin gol. Seven rare-earth elements (REE) namely La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, and Yb, as well as other trace elements (Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Au, Ba, Br, Ta, Hf, Th and U) have been determined by WDXRF at Central Geological Laboratory of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. For comparison, the same elements were determined by INAA using by epithermal neutron activation analyses at the IBR-2 reactor, FLNP JINR, Dubna. It is demonstrated that the WDXRF have satisfactorily agreed with INAA results within the limits of the uncertainty. It is shown that the values of the relative discrepancies between the WDXRF and the INAA results are in the range of 1.5-30.0 %.