Multitechnique Mineralogical and Chemical Characterisation of Tailings from Granite Quarry for Critical and Rare Earth Elements Recovery

Nowadays, the rising demand for critical elements has driven interest toward alternative, secondary sources. Integrating these materials into the supply chain complements conventional mining operations and enhances the long-term sustainability of mineral resource management. Granite quarry tailings represent a promising source of these valuable elements while contributing to the value creation of mining waste. This thesis investigates the mineralogical and chemical characteristics of granite quarry tailings to evaluate their potential as a secondary resource for rare earth elements and critical elements in general. A multitechnique analytical approach was employed, including X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to determine the bulk chemical composition, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for precise trace element quantification, focusing on rare earth elements, X-ray diffraction (XRD) to quantify the overall mineralogical composition, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) for detailed mineral identification, analysis and quantification. The results provided a comprehensive characterization of the tailings, identifying the major mineral phases and the occurrence of critical and rare earth element-bearing minerals. The study demonstrates that granite quarry tailings contain minerals capable of hosting economically important elements, highlighting their potential as a secondary source of critical raw materials and promoting the development of sustainable resource recovery strategies.