Cerianite-(Ce)

{{Short description|Oxide mineral}}

{{Infobox mineral

| name = Cerianite-(Ce)

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| caption = Yellow powder of the very rare mineral cerianite-(Ce) from Morro do Ferro, Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

| category = Oxide

| formula = {{chem|(Ce,|Th)|O|2}}

| IMAsymbol=Cei-Ce{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|journal=Mineralogical Magazine|volume=85|issue=3|pages=291–320|doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43|bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W|s2cid=235729616|doi-access=free}}

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| system = Isometric

| class = Hexoctahedral (m{{overline|3}}m)
H-M symbol: (4/m {{overline|3}} 2/m)

| symmetry = Fm{{overline|3}}m

| unit cell = a = 5.42 Å; Z = 4

| color = Dark greenish amber-yellow, yellow, buff

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| habit = octahedra; earthy, massive

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| diaphaneity = Translucent or transparent

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| density = 7.20 (synth. material, calc.; approximated)

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| other = 25px Radioactive

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| references = [https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/MineralData?mineral=Cerianite-%28Ce%29 Mineralienatlas]

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Cerianite-(Ce) is a relatively rare oxide mineral, belonging to uraninite group with the formula {{chem|(Ce,|Th)|O|2}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-929.html |title=Cerianite-(Ce): Cerianite-(Ce) mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-04}}Graham, A.R., 1955. Cerianite CeO2: a new rare-earth oxide mineral. American Mineralogist 40, 560-564 It is one of a few currently known minerals containing essential tetravalent cerium, the other examples being stetindite and dyrnaesite-(La).{{cite web|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-38899.html |title=Stetindite: Stetindite mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-04}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-46510.html |title=Dyrnaesite-(La): Dyrnaesite-(La) mineral information and data |website=Mindat.org |accessdate=2016-03-04}}

Occurrence and association

Cerianite-(Ce) is associated with alkaline rocks, mostly nepheline syenites.{{cite web|url=http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/cerianite-(Ce).pdf |title=Cerianite-(Ce) - Handbook of Mineralogy |website=Handbookofmineralogy.org |accessdate=2016-03-04}} It may be found in carbonatites. Cerianite-(Ce) associates with minerals of the apatite group, bastnäsite-group minerals, calcite, feldspar, "fluocerite", "hydromica", ilmenite, nepheline, magnetite, "törnebohmite" and tremolite. It is the most simple cerium mineral known.

Notes on chemistry

Beside thorium cerianite-(Ce) may contain trace niobium, yttrium, lanthanum, ytterbium, zirconium and tantalum.

Crystal structure

For details on crystal structure see cerium(IV) oxide. Both ceria and thoria have a fluorite structure.

References