6
Additional Definitions
assay –
a measure of the valuable mineral content.
bastnasite
– a mixed lanthanide fluoro-carbonate mineral (LaCO
3
F) that currently provides the bulk of the world's
supply of the LREEs. Bastnasite and monazite are the two most common sources of cerium and other REEs.
Bastnasite is found in carbonatites, carbonate rocks of igneous derivation.
beneficiation
– operations that concentrate and separate mineral values in ore from waste material, and typically
include, but are not limited to, crushing, grinding, washing, filtration, and leaching.
cerium (“Ce”)
– a soft, silvery, ductile metallic element that easily oxidizes in air. Ce is the most abundant of the
REEs and is found in a number of minerals, including monazite and bastnasite. Ce has two relatively stable
oxidation states (Ce3+ and Ce4+), enabling both the storage of oxygen and its widespread use in catalytic
converters. Ce is also widely used in glass polishing.
concentrate –
a mineral processing product that generally describes the material that is produced after crushing and
grinding ore, effecting significant separation of gangue (waste) minerals from the desired metal and/or metallic
minerals, and discarding the waste minerals. The resulting “concentrate” of minerals typically has an order of
magnitude higher content of minerals than the beginning ore material.
critical rare earth elements (“CREE”) –
Nd, Eu, Dy, Tb and Y were identified by the U.S. Department of Energy
(“DOE”) as “critical” in its 2011 Critical Materials Strategy Report. CREEs are those projected by the DOE to have
the greatest economic importance for clean energy development and highest risk of supply disruption. The
Company includes Pr as a CREE because of its use in conjunction with Nd in didymium as a raw material for high-
intensity permanent magnets.
cut-off grade
– when determining economically viable Mineral Reserves, it is the lowest grade of mineralized
material that qualifies as ore, i.e., that can be mined and processed at a profit.
didymium –
a mixture of the elements
and
. It is used in
for
and
especially when a gas
) powered
is used, where it
provides a
which selectively blocks the
emitted by the hot
in the glass,
without having a detrimental effect on general vision, unlike dark welder's glasses.
dysprosium (“Dy”)
– a soft metallic element of the lanthanide series, mainly used in high-performance, permanent
magnets. Dy has a high melting point and absorbs neutrons well. It is therefore also used in nuclear control rods to
help control nuclear reactions. Dy is also used in laser materials.
europium (“Eu”)
– a very rare metallic element that is the softest member of the lanthanide series. It is used in
making color television tubes and lasers and as a neutron absorber in nuclear research. It is desirable due to its
photon emission. Excitation of the Eu atom, by absorption of electrons or by UV radiation, results in changes in
energy levels that create a visible emission. Almost all practical uses of Eu utilize this luminescent behavior.
fault
– a surface or zone of rock fracture along which there has been displacement.
Feasibility
S
tudy (“FS”)
– a comprehensive study of a mineral deposit in which all geological, engineering, legal,
operating, economic, social, environmental and other relevant factors are considered in sufficient detail that it could
reasonably serve as the basis for a final decision by a financial institution to finance the development of the deposit
for mineral production.
FMR
– mineralization that includes iron oxide, manganese oxide and rare earth elements.
formation
– a distinct layer or group of layers of sedimentary rock of similar composition and geological origin.
