非洲铌钽矿地质特征、矿床类型及勘查开发现状分析

铌和钽作为重要的稀有金属矿产，被广泛应用于各种“高精尖”领域。非洲铌钽资源丰富，是全球最大的钽矿生产地。本文基于非洲铌钽矿资源状况、矿床类型、典型矿床及其勘查开发现状最新数据，得出以下认识：铌钽矿主要集中于非洲中南部地区，多数以伴生矿的形式产出，矿床类型主要包括碳酸岩型、风化壳型、碱性岩型、花岗岩型、伟晶岩型和砂矿型六种，其中花岗岩型和伟晶岩型主要富钽，而碳酸岩型和碱性岩型则主要富铌；铌钽矿床主要分布于卡普瓦尔克拉通、刚果克拉通、津巴布韦克拉通以及基巴拉、达马拉、泛非等碰撞造山带内，形成时代主要集中于太古宙、古元古代、新元古代、泛非活动期和中生代五个成矿期；非洲大部分铌钽矿山都还处于勘探开发初级阶段，受困于经济技术的落后，手工和小规模采矿仍然是铌钽矿生产开发的主要手段，未来资源潜力较大。

Geological characteristics, genetic types, and exploration and development status of niobium-tantalum deposits in Africa

Niobium and tantalum are critical rate metal minerals, which have been widely used in high-end fields. Africa is well known for its abundant niobium and tantalum resources, and is the world''s largest tantalum producer. Based on the latest data about geological characteristics and exploration and development status of Nb-Ta deposits in Africa, the following conclusions are reached. The Nb-Ta deposits are mainly located in the central and southern parts of Africa, and most occurred in the form of associated minerals. There are six genesis types of these deposits, including carbonatite-type, weathering crust-type, alkaline rock-type, granite-type, pegmatite-type and placer-type. The granite-type and pegmatite-type deposits are mostly rich in tantalum, while carbonatite-type and alkaline rock-type deposits are mainly rich in niobium. They are mainly distributed in the Kaapvaal Craton, Congo Craton, Zimbabwe Craton and the Kibara, Damara and Pan-Africa collision orogenic belts. Mineralization of Nb-Ta mainly occurred in the five metallogenic periods of Archean, Paleoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic, Pan-African orogeny and Mesozoic. Most of the Nb-Ta mines in Africa are still in the initial stage of exploration and development, and due to the backwardness of economy and technology, manual and small-scale mining are still the main methods for the production of niobium and tantalum resources. It is inferred that there is great niobium and tantalum resource potential in Africa in the future.