Bastnaesite

Bastnäsite (or bastnaesite)Formula: (Ce,La,Y)CO₃F

Mohs scale hardness: 4-4,5

Specific gravity: 4,95-5 g/cm³

^{Rare earth elements: Dy, Eu, Tb, La, Ce, Y, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd}

^{Rare earth content, %: Ce}2^O3 ^36.9–40.5;

^(La,Pr,..)2^O3 ^{36.3–36.6; REO}max^=76%

Other constituents, %: CO2 19.8–20.2;

F 6.2–8.5

Mineralklasse: Сarbonate-fluoride, Carbonate

Application: Raw material for production of REE

Although a scarce mineral and never in great concentrations, it is one of the more common rare-earth carbonates. Bastnäsite has been found in karst bauxite deposits in Hungary, Greece and the Balkans region. Also found in carbonatites, a rare carbonate igneous intrusive rock, at Fen, Norway; Bayan Obo, Mongolia; Kangankunde, Malawi; Kizilcaoren, Turkey and the Mountain Pass rare earth mine in California, US. At Mountain Pass, bastnäsite is the leading ore mineral. So