Lanthanide mineral resources

There are three general motivations for analysis of natural samples (1) exploration for rare-earth mineral resources, (2) isotopic analysis for elucidation of the geological history of the earth, and (3) analysis of living samples to investigate natural distribution of lanthanides in the biosphere. The analysis of geologic samples for rare-earth content has obvious implications for rare-earth mining, and rare-earth analyses also have been... 

Bastnasite has been identified in various locations on several continents. The largest recognized deposit occurs mixed with monazite and iron ores in a complex mineralization at Baiyunebo in Inner MongoHa, China. The mineral is obtained as a by-product of the iron ore mining. The other commercially viable bastnasite source is the Mountain Pass, California deposit where the average Ln oxide content of the ore is ca 9%. This U.S. deposit is the only resource in the world that is minded solely for its content of cerium and other lanthanides. 

Mischmetal. Mischmetal [62379-61-7] contains, in metallic form, the mixed light lanthanides in the same or slightly modified ratio as occurs in the resource minerals. It is produced by the electrolysis of fused mixed lanthanide chloride prepared from either bastnasite or mona2ite. Although the precise composition of the resulting metal depends on the composition of chloride used, the cerium content of most grades is always close to 50 wt %. 

Historically the use of mona2ite, a thorium-containing mineral, as the principal lanthanide resource led to confusion regarding the relation between radioactivity and the lanthanides. Inadequate separations produced Th-contaminated Ln products. Modem processing technology results in products that meet all regulatory requirements. 

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