Gadolinite

Formula: (Ce,La,Nd,Y)2FeBe2Si2O10Mohs scale hardness: 6,5–7

Specific gravity: 4,4-4,8 g/cm3

Rare earth elements: Y, Sc, Ho, La, Ce, Nd

Rare earth content, %: Y2O3 30.7–46.5

(Ce,La,...)2O3 5.23

Other constituents, %: FeO 10–13.7; SiO2 23–24.5; ThO2 0.3–0.4; BeO 9–10.2; Ca, Mg, Re

Gadolinite, sometimes also known as Ytterbite, is a silicate mineral that consists principally of the silicates of cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, yttrium, beryllium. It is called gadolinite-(Ce) or gadolinite-(Y) depending on the prominence of the variable element composition (namely, Y if it has more yttrium, and Ce if it has more cerium). It may contain 35.48% yttria sub-group rare earths, 2.17% ceria earths, up to 11.6% BeO and traces of thorium. It is found in Sweden, Norway, and the US (Texas and Colorado).

Gadolinite and euxenite are quite abundant and are future sources of yttrium sub group rare earths. At present, these elements are recovered from monazite concentrates (after recovery of ceria sub-group metals).

References

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org

  2. http://webmineral.com/specimens/picshow.php?id=1401#.Vl-WHV44B0s

  3. https://books.google.cl/books?id=jPskAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA4-PA13&lpg=RA4-PA13&dq=Green+Cove+Springs+Mine+monazite&source=bl&ots=8xH_PV9MoG&sig=MkXPfqzQ6OM4zmU2OWc-eHL2-GQ&hl=ru&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj6-bG1mfbMAhUDE5AKHYGfCWsQ6AEIKDAD#v=onepage&q&f=false

  4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadolinite

  5. http://www.mindat.org/min-1628.html

© Ph.D. Natalia Petrovskaya

December 2, 2015

nataliapetrovsky@gmail.com