Özet:

REY (Rare Earth Elements + Y) and Sc are strategic materials that are needed globally for areas requiring high technology such as the energy sector and electronics. Coals contain Rare Earth Elements along with many trace elements in their composition. In recent years, as the gap between REE's global demand and supply increases, the search for alternative sources has become increasingly important, especially for countries that depend heavily on imports of these materials. Particularly considered as waste material, coal and coal ash are considered a possible source for many elements, including REE. Turkish low-rank coals analyzed in this study have an average critical mineral abundance of 73.73 ppm (on a dry whole coal basis). Materials collected from the various Neogene coal fields in Turkey were found to contain a relatively higher amount of REY (>100 ppm) relative to the rest of the samples, which may be attributed to the volcaniclastic character of the sediment associated with the seams. In this study, it was determined that although the critical mineral contents of the investigated coals were higher than Turkish, World, USA, and China coals, they were not economic for production and could be taken into consideration by the development of production techniques.  

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