Highlights

• ITU researchers successfully upgraded REE concentrations in Turkish coastal sands—cerium to 5,700 g/t, neodymium to 2,300 g/t—using gravity and magnetic separation.
• Hantepe placer deposit contains strategic minerals (titanite, zircon, monazite, allanite) but faces radioactivity concerns and lacks downstream processing infrastructure.
• Study reinforces that discovering REE deposits doesn’t challenge China’s 85-90% control of rare earth processing—the critical bottleneck in global supply chains.

A newly published study in Minerals (opens in a new tab) (MDPI) led by Dr. Mustafa Özer (opens in a new tab) of the Mineral Processing Engineering Department at Istanbul Technical University (ITU)—with collaborators from ITU’s Geological Engineering faculty and McGill University—examines whether the Hantepe coastal placer deposit in Çanakkale, Türkiye (opens in a new tab) could emerge as a meaningful new source of rare earth elements (REEs) and strategic heavy minerals. Using laboratory-scale gravity and magnetic separation techniques, the researchers demonstrate that REE-bearing and heavy-mineral fractions can be significantly upgraded from these sands. Yet the study also underscores a broader and unavoidable conclusion: discovering and concentrating rare earth minerals does not, by itself, challenge China’s near-monopoly over rare earth processing, which remains the decisive choke point in global supply chains.

Study Overview: Why Hantepe Matters

Placer deposits form when dense, durable minerals are naturally concentrated by water and wave action. At Hantepe, the team identified a mix of titanite, zircon, apatite, monazite, and allanite—all minerals capable of hosting rare earths—alongside magnetite and ilmenite. These minerals are critical inputs for clean energy, electronics, and defense technologies.

The study shows that relatively simple beneficiation methods can sharply increase the concentration of valuable elements. In the best-performing non-magnetic concentrate, cerium rose from ~870 g/t to over 5,700 g/t, neodymium from ~300 g/t to more than 2,300 g/t, and zirconium to nearly 10,000 g/t. A separate magnetic fraction proved rich in iron and vanadium, suggesting potential as an Fe–V byproduct stream.

Methods Explained for Non-Specialists

Rather than drilling a new mine, the researchers worked with bulk sand samples collected from the coast.

The process followed three main steps:

1. Size classification – separating coarse sand from finer material, since heavy minerals tend to concentrate in smaller grain sizes.
2. Gravity separation – using a shaking table to exploit density differences, allowing heavier minerals to sink while lighter quartz-rich sand is discarded.
3. Magnetic separation – applying low- and high-intensity magnetic fields to separate iron-rich minerals from non-magnetic REE- and zircon-bearing phases.

The resulting products were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to identify minerals and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to measure chemical composition.

Key Findings: Technical Success, Strategic Limits

Technically, the results are encouraging. The combined gravity–magnetic flowsheet successfully split the ore into distinct, value-added streams:

• A magnetic concentrate rich in iron oxides and vanadium
• A non-magnetic concentrate enriched in titanium-bearing minerals, zircon, and REEs
• Middlings that could potentially be upgraded further using flotation or electrostatic separation

From a mineral-processing perspective, this establishes Hantepe as a credible secondary source of REEs and heavy minerals within Türkiye’s borders.

However, the study also implicitly reinforces a larger global constraint. Producing a mineral concentrate is not the same as producing usable rare earth materials. To become magnets, catalysts, or electronics components, REEs must undergo complex chemical separation and refining—steps that today are overwhelmingly controlled by China.

China’s Processing Monopoly: The Unspoken Context

Globally, China accounts for over 60% of rare earth mining and an even higher share—often estimated above 85–90%—of processing and separation capacity. This study illustrates a recurring pattern seen worldwide: countries can identify promising deposits and even produce concentrates, but without domestic or allied processing infrastructure, they remain dependent on China for the most critical step.

Hantepe’s non-magnetic concentrate, for example, still contains a mixture of titanite, zircon, and REE-bearing minerals. Turning this into market-ready REE oxides or metals would require advanced hydrometallurgical facilities that Türkiye—and most countries—currently lack at scale.

Controversial and Regulatory Considerations

One sensitive issue highlighted by the study is radioactivity. Minerals like monazite and allanite naturally contain thorium and uranium, which become concentrated alongside REEs. This raises environmental, health, and permitting challenges. Any future pilot or commercial project would need strict radiation monitoring, controlled waste management, and regulatory approval—factors that often slow or halt projects outside China.

Another economic caveat: titanite, not ilmenite or rutile, is the main titanium-bearing mineral at Hantepe. Titanite is more complex and costly to process into pigment-grade TiO₂, reducing its immediate commercial appeal.

Study Limitations

The authors are explicit about limits. The work is laboratory-scale, not a feasibility study. Reserve size, mining costs, downstream processing economics, and market access remain untested. Advanced mineral liberation analysis and pilot-scale trials are recommended next steps.

Conclusion: A Valuable Piece, Not the Whole Puzzle

The Hantepe study adds Türkiye to a growing list of countries with technically viable rare earth-bearing deposits. It demonstrates that placer sands can be upgraded efficiently and could support domestic supply of strategic minerals. But it also reinforces a central lesson for policymakers and investors alike: until rare earth processing capacity is diversified, new discoveries alone will not break China’s dominance.

Source: Özer, M. et al. (2025). Characterization and Enrichment of Rare Earth Element and Heavy Mineral-Bearing Fractions from the Hantepe Placer Deposit, Çanakkale, Türkiye. Minerals, 15(12), 1293. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15121293 (opens in a new tab)

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