¹I. V. Tananaev Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Rare Elements and Mineral Raw Materials (Kola Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences), Apatity, Russia
²Murmansk State Technical University, Murmansk, Russia
³Kola Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Apatity, Russia

A. I. Nikolaev, Deputy Director¹, Professor², Head of Department³, e-mail: nikol_ai@chemy.kolasc.net.ru
V. T. Kalinnikov, Director¹, Professor, Head of a Chair², Chairman³

The Afrikanda perovskite ore deposit in Murmansk region is a major source of titanium compounds, and also of rare-earth metals (REM), niobium and tantalum. Since the deposit has a developed infrastructure, being substantially prepared for exploitation, it presents an economic interest. Nowadays, a package of both large-scale technological developments and minor projects is available. The basic project of science-intensive high technologies affords selecting the optimal variant for a concrete situation, meeting any of the following selection criteria: cost-effectiveness, environmental safety, availability of reagents, possibility of obtaining products of required range and quality, including strategic materials. The fundamental research and processing methods for perovskite concentrate have been largely concerned with the production of pigment titanium dioxide, practically unproduced in Russia. Simultaneously, REM compounds can be obtained. Taking into account the Russian market of titanium dioxide, the volume of the PEM production may be as high as several thousand tons (in terms of REM oxides). Compared to loparite concentrate, the ratio of individual REM oxides, contained in perovskite concentrate, better fits the REM market structure. Attention nowadays is focused on research into nondestructive nature management, environmentally friendly technologies, enhancing the competitive ability of chemical enterprises, expanding the product range and reducing the amount of wastes. It is expected that the perovskite technology will be introduced at the Kola chemical-technological complex.

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