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Monazite-(Ce)

Big Photo

Wanni glacier - Scherbadung Mt. (Cervandone Mt.) area, Kriegalp Valley (Chriegalp Valley), Binn Valley, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland
© Stephan Wolfsried

Show Monazite-(Ce) Photos (233)
Formula:
(Ce,La,Nd,Th)PO
 
4
System:MonoclinicColour:Yellowish, reddish brown ...
Hardness:5 - 5½
Name:From the Greek μουάζειυ "to be solitary" in allusion to the rarity of its presence in the first known localities, plus "Ce" as the cerium dominant member of the Monazite series.


Monazite Group

A widely distributed mineral as an accessory in granitic igneous rocks and gneissic metamorphic rocks, and in detrital sands derived from them.

Classification of Monazite-(Ce)

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:7/A.15-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:8.AD.50

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
A : Phosphates, etc. without additional anions, without H2O
D : With only large cations
Dana 8th edition ID:38.4.3.1

38 : ANHYDROUS NORMAL PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, AND VANADATES
4 : AXO4
Hey's CIM Ref.:19.9.3

19 : Phosphates
9 : Phosphates of rare earths and Sc
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Type Occurrence of Monazite-(Ce)

Type Locality:Ilmen Natural Reserve, Ilmen Mts, Chelyabinsk Oblast', Southern Urals, Urals Region, Russia
Place of Conservation of Type Material:Mining Academy, Freiberg, Germany 19539

Occurrences of Monazite-(Ce)

Geological Setting:Pegmatites associated with granitic or syenitic igneous rocks.

Physical Properties of Monazite-(Ce)

Lustre:Sub-Adamantine, Vitreous, Resinous, Waxy
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Translucent
Colour:Yellowish, reddish brown to brown; shades of greenish, nearly white; yellowish brown, yellow, colourless in transmitted light.
Streak:White, faintly coloured.
Hardness (Mohs):5 - 5½
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Distinct/Good
On {100}, distinct; on {010}, difficult; also on {110}, {101}, and {011}, indistinct as observed at times.
Parting:Well-marked frequently present on {001}; on {111}, rare.
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density (measured):5 - 5.5 g/cm3
Density (calculated):5.26 g/cm3
Comment:Density increases with an increase in the Th content (to 5.4).

Crystallography of Monazite-(Ce)

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Cell Parameters:a = 6.7902(10) Å, b = 7.0203(6) Å, c = 6.4674(7) Å
β = 103.6°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.967 : 1 : 0.921
Unit Cell Volume:V 299.65 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Crystals usually small but may be large and coarse at times. Frequently flattened {100} or elongate [010]; prismatic by extension of {111} at times; equant, or wedge-shaped by the large development of {100} and {111}. Crystal faces commonly rough, striated or uneven.
Twinning:On {100}, common; cruciform at times. Also on {001}, lamellar, rare. Doubtfully reported on {201} and {_902}.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Monazite-(Ce)

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.770 - 1.793 nβ = 1.778 - 1.800 nγ = 1.823 - 1.860
2V:Measured: 10° to 26°, Calculated: 18° to 24°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.053 - 0.067

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Very High
Dispersion:r > v or r < v
Pleochroism:Not Visible
Comments:Faint to imperceptible. In pale yellows.

Chemical Properties of Monazite-(Ce)

Formula:
(Ce,La,Nd,Th)PO
 
4
Essential elements:Ce, O, P
All elements listed in formula:Ce, La, Nd, O, P, Th

Relationship of Monazite-(Ce) to other Species

Member of Group:
Monazite Group:
Common Associates:
ZirconXenotime-(Y)Samarskite-(Y)MagnetiteIlmenite
GadoliniteFergusoniteColumbite-TantaliteApatite
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
8.AD.05Nahpoite
Na
 
2
HPO
 
4
8.AD.10Monetite
CaHPO
 
4
8.AD.10Weilite
CaHAsO
 
4
8.AD.10Švenekite
Ca(H
 
2
AsO
 
4
)
 
2
8.AD.15Archerite
(K,NH
 
4
)[H
 
2
PO
 
4
]
8.AD.15Biphosphammite
(NH
 
4
,K)H
 
2
PO
 
4
8.AD.20Phosphammite
(NH
 
4
)
 
2
HPO
 
4
8.AD.25Buchwaldite
NaCaPO
 
4
8.AD.30Schultenite
PbHAsO
 
4
8.AD.35Chernovite-(Y)
YAsO
 
4
8.AD.35Dreyerite
BiVO
 
4
8.AD.35Wakefieldite-(Ce)
(Ce,Pb)VO
 
4
8.AD.35Wakefieldite-(Y)
YVO
 
4
8.AD.35Xenotime-(Y)
YPO
 
4
8.AD.35Pretulite
ScPO
 
4
8.AD.35Xenotime-(Yb)
(Yb,Y,HREE)PO
 
4
8.AD.35Wakefieldite-(La)
LaVO
 
4
8.AD.40Pucherite
BiVO
 
4
8.AD.45Ximengite
BiPO
 
4
8.AD.50Gasparite-(Ce)
(Ce,REE)AsO
 
4
8.AD.50Monazite-(La)
(La,Ce,Nd)PO
 
4
8.AD.50Monazite-(Nd)
(Nd,La,Ce)PO
 
4
8.AD.50Rooseveltite
BiAsO
 
4
8.AD.50Cheralite
(Ca,Ce)(Th,Ce)[PO
 
4
]
 
2
8.AD.50Monazite-(Sm)
(Sm,Gd,Ce,Th)(PO
 
4
)
8.AD.50UM2005-35-VO:CaFePSiTh
(Th,Ca)[VO
 
4
,SiO
 
4
,PO
 
4
]
8.AD.55Tetrarooseveltite
Bi(AsO
 
4
)
8.AD.60Chursinite
(Hg-Hg)
 
0.5
Hg
2+
 
[AsO
 
4
]
8.AD.65Clinobisvanite
BiVO
 
4
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
19.9.1Xenotime-(Y)
YPO
 
4
19.9.2Churchite-(Y)
YPO
 
4
·2H
 
2
O
19.9.4Monazite-(La)
(La,Ce,Nd)PO
 
4
19.9.5Monazite-(Nd)
(Nd,La,Ce)PO
 
4
19.9.6Rhabdophane-(Ce)
(Ce,La)PO
 
4
·H
 
2
O
19.9.7Rhabdophane-(La)
(La,Ce)PO
 
4
·H
 
2
O
19.9.8Rhabdophane-(Nd)
(Nd,Ce,La)PO
 
4
·H
 
2
O
19.9.9Vitusite-(Ce)
Na
 
3
(Ce,La,Nd)(PO
 
4
)
 
2
19.9.10Florencite-(Ce)
CeAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
19.9.11Florencite-(La)
LaAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
19.9.12Florencite-(Nd)
NdAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
19.9.13Kolbeckite
ScPO
 
4
·2H
 
2
O

Other Names for Monazite-(Ce)

Synonyms:
CryptoliteEdwardsiteEremiteKorarfveiteKularite
Mengite (of Brooke)PhosphoceriteTurnerite
Other Languages:
German:Edwardsit
Edwarsit
Kryptolith
Kularit
Monazitoid
Russian:Монацит-(Ce)
Spanish:Edwardsita
Kularita
Swedish:Kårarfveit
Urdit
Varieties:
Silicomonazite

Other Information

Magnetism:Paramagnetic
Other Information:Slowly decomposed by acids.
Dull brown cathodoluminescence.
Health Warning:Radioactive if rich in thorium or uranium.
Industrial Uses:Ore of the REE's.

References for Monazite-(Ce)

Reference List:Lévy (1823) Annals of Philosophy, London: 5: 241 (as Turnerite).

Breithaupt (1829) Journal für Chemie und Physik, Nuremberg: 55: 301 (as Monazit).

Brooke (1831) Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: 10: 139 (as Mengite).

Shepard (1837) American Journal of Science: 32: 162 (as Edwardsite).

Shepard (1837) American Journal of Science: 32: 341 (as Eremite).

Wöhler (1846) Göttingische gelehrte Anzeigen, Göttingen: 19 (as Kryptolith).

Hermann (1847) Journal für praktische Chemie, Leipzig: 40: 21 (as Monazitoid).

Watts (1849) Journal of the Chemical Society, London: 2: 131.

Forbes and Dahll (1855) Nytt Magazin for Naturvidenskaberne, Oslo: 8: 227 (as Urdit).

Radominski (1874) Comptes rendu de l’Académie des sciences de Paris: 78: 764 (as Kårarfveit).

Dana, E.S. (1882) American Journal of Science: 24: 247.

Goldschmidt, V. (1890) Index der Krystallformen der Mineralien. 3 volumes : vol. 2, 542pp.: 399.

Dana, E.S. (1892) System of Mineralogy, 6th. Edition, New York: 749.

Ramsay and Zilliacus (1897) Ofv. Finska Vetenskaps-Societeten, Helsingfors (Acta Societatis Scientiarum Fennicae; Suomen Tiedesura), Förh.: 39.

Schetelig (1913) Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift, Oslo: 2, no. 9.

Busz (1914) Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Beil.-Bd.: 39: 492.

Doelter, C. (1914) Handbuch der Mineral-chemie (in 4 volumes divided into parts): 3[1]: 546.

Johnstone (1914) Journal of the Society Chem. Ind.: 33: 55.

Goldschmidt, V. (1920) Atlas der Krystallformen. 9 volumes, atlas, and text: vol. 6: 51.

Shibata and Kimura (1921) Journal of the Chemical Society of Japan: 42: 957.

Hintze, Carl (1922) Handbuch der Mineralogie. Berlin and Leipzig. 6 volumes: 1 [4A]: 298.
Pisani analysis in: Lacroix, A. (1922) Minéralogie de Madagascar, Paris. 3 volumes: volume 1: 351.

Hintze, Carl (1923) Handbuch der Mineralogie. Berlin and Leipzig. 6 volumes: 1 [4A]: 368.

Niggli and Faesy (1925) Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 62: 557.

Ellsworth (1932) American Mineralogist: 17: 19.

Bearth (1936) Schweizerische mineralogische und petrographische Mitteilungen, Frauenfeld: 14: 442.

Thoreau, Breckpot, and Vaes (1936) Académie royale des sciences de Belgique, Brussels, Bull.: 22[5]: 1111.

Zemel (1936) Journal of Applied Chemistry, Leningrad: 9: 1969.

Parker (1937) American Mineralogist: 22: 572.

Gliszczynski (1939) Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 101: 1.

Gordon (1939) Academy of Natural Science of Philadelphia, Notulae Naturae: no. 2.

Parrish (1939) American Mineralogist: 24: 651.

Sahama and Vähätalo (1941) C.r. soc. géol. Finlande, no. 14: 50.

Sarkar (1941) Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Science: 13: section A: 245.

Mawson (1944) Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia: 68: 3354.

Hutton (1947) American Mineralogist: 32: 141.

Holmes (1948) Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: 63: 115.

Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged, 1124 pp.: 691-696 (as Monazite).

Mineralogical Magazine (1980): 43: 1031.

Mineralogicheskii Zhurnal (1988): 10: 37.

Demartin, F., Pilati, T., Diella, V., Donzelli, S., Gramaccioli, C.M. (1991): Alpine monazite: further data. Can. Mineral., 29, 61-67.

American Mineralogist (1995): 80: 21-26.

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