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Monazite is a primarily reddish-brown phosphate mineral that contains rare-earth elements. Due to variability in composition, monazite is considered a group of minerals. [3] The most common species of the group is monazite-(Ce), that is, the cerium-dominant member of the group. [4] It occurs usually in small isolated crystals.
The mineral assemblage formed by metamorphism depends on the composition of the parent rock and more importantly, the stability of different minerals at varying temperature and pressure (P-T). A set of mineral assemblages that form under similar temperature and pressure is called a metamorphic facies .
Most bastnäsite is bastnäsite-(Ce), and cerium is by far the most common of the rare earths in this class of minerals. Bastnäsite and the phosphate mineral monazite are the two largest sources of cerium and other rare-earth elements. Bastnäsite was first described by the Swedish chemist Wilhelm Hisinger in 1838.
It is the cerium-dominant analogue of monazite-(La), monazite-(Nd), and monazite-(Sm). It is also the phosphorus analogue of gasparite-(Ce). [2] The group contains simple rare earth phosphate minerals with the general formula of AXO 4, where A = Ce, La, Nd, or Sm (or, rarely, Bi
It is also known to occur as small grains in detrital sands. Crystals are rare, but when found can produce nicely shaped short prismatic crystals with pyramidal terminations. It is commonly associated with zircon, monazite, gadolinite, fergusonite, uraninite, yttrialite and pyrochlore. [4] Thorite is currently an important ore of uranium.
Monazite-(La) is a relatively rare representative of the monazite group, with lanthanum being the dominant rare earth element in its structure. As such, it is the lanthanum analogue of monazite-(Ce) , monazite-(Nd) , and monazite-(Sm) .
New minerals approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA-CNMNC) are allocated unique symbols consistent with the main listing. New symbols are announced in the newsletters of the IMA-CNMNC. An updated "mineral symbol picker" list [7] is also available for checking on the availability of symbols prior to submission for approval.
The minerals which contain titanium are ilmenite, rutile, and leucoxene, zirconium is contained within zircon, and thorium is generally contained within monazite. These minerals are sourced from primarily granite bedrock by erosion and transported to the sea by rivers where they accumulate within beach sands.