Fluorbritholite-(Ce)
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Fluorbritholite-(Ce) is the fluorine-dominant analogue of Britholite-(Ce). Britholite was first described and named by Christian Winther in 1901 from the Greek word brithos for weight, referring to the high specific gravity of the mineral; and (Ce) for its cerium content.

Discovered in 1991; IMA status: Valid (IMA Approved 1991)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

Ca₂(Ce,Ca,La)₃(SiO₄,PO₄)₃(F,OH)

Calcium Cerium Lanthanum Silicate Phosphate Fluoride Hydroxide

Emperical Chemical Formula:

Ca_1.95Ce_1.39La_0.76Nd_0.31Pr_0.17Y_0.09Th_0.05Sr_0.03Sm_0.03Si_2.68P_0.31O_12.02F_0.98

Molecular Weight:

769.69 gm

Composition:

Strontium

0.34 %

Sr

0.40 %

SrO

Calcium

10.15 %

Ca

14.21 %

CaO

Lanthanum

13.72 %

La

16.09 %

La₂O₃

Cerium

25.30 %

Ce

29.64 %

Ce₂O₃

Praeseodymium

3.11 %

Pr

3.64 %

Pr₂O₃

Samarium

0.59 %

Sm

0.68 %

Sm₂O₃

Yttrium

1.04 %

Y

1.32 %

Y₂O₃

Thorium

1.51 %

Th

1.72 %

ThO₂

Silicon

9.78 %

Si

20.92 %

SiO₂

Phosphorus

1.25 %

P

2.86 %

P₂O₅

Neodymium

5.81 %

Nd

6.78 %

Nd₂O₃

Oxygen

24.99 %

O

Fluorine

2.42 %

F

2.42 %

F

—

 —  %

F

-O=F₂

100.00 %

99.65 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

Classification

Mineral Classification:

SILICATES (Germanates)

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

8/B.27-62

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

9.AH.25

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
A : Nesosilicates
H : Nesosilicates with CO₃, SO₄, PO₄, etc.

Related to:

Apatite Supergroup. Britholite Group. The fluorine-dominant analogue of Britholite-(Ce).

Members of Group:

Britholite Group: Britholite-(Ce), Britholite-(La), Britholite-(Y), Fluorbritholite-(Ce), Fluorbritholite-(Y), Fluorcalciobritholite, Tritomite-(Ce), Tritomite-(Y)

Varieties:

None

Synonyms:

IMA1991-027

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Hexagonal - Dipyramidal

Crystal Habit:

Crystals are hexagonal prisms, to 1 cm; granular, massive; includes aggregates of radiating prismatic crystals.

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

Distinct on {001} 

Fracture:

Conchoidal

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

5.0

Density:

4.20 - 4.69 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

None

Radioactivity:

Weak; GRapi = 29,254.55 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Health Warning:

Contains Cerium and Thorium - always wash hands after handling. Avoid inhaling dust when handling or breaking. Never lick or ingest. Avoid prolonged exposure in proximity of the body. Store away from inhabited areas.

Optical Properties

Color:

Pale yellow, tan, colorless, reddish brown

Transparency:

Opaque to translucent; transparent in thin flakes

Luster:

Adamantine

Refractive Index:

1.782 - 1.792  Uniaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.006

Dispersion:

n/a

Pleochroism:

n/a

Occurances

Geological Setting:

In vugs in nepheline syenite, marble xenoliths, sodalite syenite xenoliths and pegmatite dykes

Common Associations:

Zircon, Ussingite, Steenstrupine-(Ce), Sodalite, Sérandite, Pyrophanite, Phillipsite, Pectolite, Natrolite, Monazite, Microcline, Lueshite, Lovozerite, Götzenite, Fluorite, Eudialyte, Chabazite, Carbonate-rich Fluorapatite, Calcite, Biotite, Ancylite, Analcime, Albite (at Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada)

Common Impurities:

n/a

Type Locality:

Poudrette quarry (Demix quarry; Uni-Mix quarry; Desourdy quarry; Carrière Mont Saint-Hilaire), Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada

Year Discovered:

1991

View mineral photos:

Fluorbritholite-(Ce) Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Fluorbritholite-(Ce) is a Rare Earth Element (REE) rich silicate mineral. It contains the rare earth elements Cerium (Ce), Lanthanum (La), Neodymium (Nd), Praeseodymium (Pr), Samarium (Sm) and Yttrium (Y). Rare earth elements are a set of seventeen chemical elements, specifically the fifteen Lanthanides plus Scandium and Yttrium. Despite their name, rare earth elements (with the exception of the radioactive Promethium) are relatively plentiful in the Earth's crust, with Cerium being the 25th most abundant element (similar to Copper).

Fluorbritholite-(Ce) is also the fluorine-dominant analogue of Britholite-(Ce). Fluorbritholite-(Ce) is found in vugs in nepheline syenite, marble xenoliths, sodalite syenite xenoliths, and pegmatite dikes. It occurs as yellow, tan or reddish-brown aggregates and patches consisting of radiating prismatic crystals. The picture above shows a nice contrast of yellow Fluorbritholite-(Ce) and black Allanite-(Ce) from the Rusty Gold locality, Jamestown, Boulder County, Colorado, USA.

Fluorbritholite-(Ce) is the fluorine-dominant analogue of Britholite-(Ce). Britholite was first described and named by Christian Winther in 1901 from the Greek word brithos for weight, referring to the high specific gravity of the mineral; and (Ce) for its cerium content.

Locations for finding Fluorbritholite-(Ce): at the type locality Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Québec, Canada; Sakhariok Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region, Russia. In Sweden at Norra Kärr, Gränna, Jönköping, Småland and at Malmkärra Mine, Norberg, Västmanland. In the USA at "Cerite" occurrences ("Rusty Gold" locality), Jamestown, Jamestown District, Boulder County, Colorado.
 

  
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