China discovers new rare earth mineral in N.China's Inner Mongolia
Global Times
By Global Times Published: Jul 17, 2025 07:33 PM
A Chinese research institute has recently discovered a new rare earth mineral in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, further expanding the country's rare earth mineral categories.
According to China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), the university, in collaboration with the Inner Mongolia Geological Survey Institute, found a new rare earth mineral in the middle part of the main ore body at the Bayan Obo deposit in the region, named "Neodymium Yellow River ore," China News Service reported on Thursday.
Recently, the naming of the newly discovered rare earth mineral received unanimous approval from the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification under the International Mineralogical Association, according to the report.
Neodymium Yellow River ore belongs to the rare earth carbonate mineral family and its chemical composition features a unique enrichment of the element neodymium, the report said, citing Zhao Laishi, head of the research team at China University of Geosciences (Wuhan).
Neodymium, as a core component of high-performance permanent magnet materials, is in high demand in sectors such as new-energy vehicles, wind power generation, and electronic information.
The Bayan Obo deposit is the world's largest rare earth ore deposit and a treasure trove of mineral resources in China, with over 210 mineral species previously discovered. Zhao said that the discovery of the new rare earth mineral further highlights the complexity and resource diversity of this deposit.
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