Wakefieldite
Encyclopedia
Wakefieldite is an uncommon rare earth element
vanadate
mineral. There are four main types of wakefieldite- wakefieldite-(La), wakefieldite-(Ce), wakefieldite-(Nd), and wakefieldite-(Y), depending upon the dominant rare earth metal ion present. Wakefieldite has a Mohs hardness ranging from 4-5. Wakefieldite forms crystals of tetragonal structure. In terms of crystal structure, it is the vanadate
analog of the rare earth phosphate
mineral xenotime
. Unlike xenotime
, it is more favorable for wakefieldite to contain the lighter rare earth elements over the heavier ones. Due to the lanthanide contraction
, the heavier rare earths have smaller ionic radii than the lighter ones. When the phosphate
anion is replaced by the larger vanadate
anion, the tetragonal crystal system preferentially accommodates the larger light rare earth elements.
Wakefieldite was first described for an occurrence in the Evans Lou mine, St. Pierre de Wakefield
, Quebec
, Canada
and later designated Wakefieldite-(Y).
Wakefieldite-(Ce) was first described as kusuite for its type locality in the Kusu deposit, 85 km SW of Kinshasa
, Zaire
. It was renamed in 1977 as the Ce analog of wakefieldite-Y.
Wakefieldite-(La) was first described in 2008 for an occurrence in the Glücksstern mine, Gottlob Hill, Friedrichroda
, Thuringia
, Germany
.
Wakefieldite-(Nd) was first described in 2008 at the Arase mine, Kami
city, Kochi Prefecture
, Shikoku Island, Japan
.
Rare earth element
As defined by IUPAC, rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium...
vanadate
Vanadate
In chemistry, a vanadate is a compound containing an oxoanion of vanadium generally in its highest oxidation state of +5. The simplest vanadate ion is the tetrahedral, orthovanadate, VO43− anion, which is present in e.g. sodium orthovanadate and in solutions of V2O5 in strong base...
mineral. There are four main types of wakefieldite- wakefieldite-(La), wakefieldite-(Ce), wakefieldite-(Nd), and wakefieldite-(Y), depending upon the dominant rare earth metal ion present. Wakefieldite has a Mohs hardness ranging from 4-5. Wakefieldite forms crystals of tetragonal structure. In terms of crystal structure, it is the vanadate
Vanadate
In chemistry, a vanadate is a compound containing an oxoanion of vanadium generally in its highest oxidation state of +5. The simplest vanadate ion is the tetrahedral, orthovanadate, VO43− anion, which is present in e.g. sodium orthovanadate and in solutions of V2O5 in strong base...
analog of the rare earth phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
mineral xenotime
Xenotime
Xenotime is a rare earth phosphate mineral, whose major component is yttrium orthophosphate . It forms a solid solution series with chernovite- and therefore may contain trace impurities of arsenic, as well as silicon dioxide and calcium...
. Unlike xenotime
Xenotime
Xenotime is a rare earth phosphate mineral, whose major component is yttrium orthophosphate . It forms a solid solution series with chernovite- and therefore may contain trace impurities of arsenic, as well as silicon dioxide and calcium...
, it is more favorable for wakefieldite to contain the lighter rare earth elements over the heavier ones. Due to the lanthanide contraction
Lanthanide contraction
Lanthanide contraction is a term used in chemistry to describe the decrease in ionic radii of the elements in the lanthanide series from atomic number 58, Cerium to 71, Lutetium, which results in smaller than otherwise expected ionic radii for the subsequent elements starting with 72, Hafnium...
, the heavier rare earths have smaller ionic radii than the lighter ones. When the phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
anion is replaced by the larger vanadate
Vanadate
In chemistry, a vanadate is a compound containing an oxoanion of vanadium generally in its highest oxidation state of +5. The simplest vanadate ion is the tetrahedral, orthovanadate, VO43− anion, which is present in e.g. sodium orthovanadate and in solutions of V2O5 in strong base...
anion, the tetragonal crystal system preferentially accommodates the larger light rare earth elements.
Wakefieldite was first described for an occurrence in the Evans Lou mine, St. Pierre de Wakefield
Val-des-Monts, Quebec
Val-des-Monts is a municipality in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada, located about 40 kilometres north of Ottawa. It has a population of 10,139 residents. Formed in 1974 by the merger of the towns of Perkins, Saint-Pierre-de-Wakefield and Poltimore, it consists mainly of farms and mountainous...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and later designated Wakefieldite-(Y).
Wakefieldite-(Ce) was first described as kusuite for its type locality in the Kusu deposit, 85 km SW of Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
, Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
. It was renamed in 1977 as the Ce analog of wakefieldite-Y.
Wakefieldite-(La) was first described in 2008 for an occurrence in the Glücksstern mine, Gottlob Hill, Friedrichroda
Friedrichroda
Friedrichroda is a town in the district of Gotha, Thuringia, Germany. It is situated at the north foot of the Thuringian Forest, 21 km by rail southwest of the town of Gotha. It is surrounded by fir-clad hills and possesses numerous handsome villa residences, a Kurhaus and a sanatorium...
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Wakefieldite-(Nd) was first described in 2008 at the Arase mine, Kami
Kami, Kochi
is a city located in Kōchi, Japan.As of its founding but with 2003 population estimates, the city has an estimated population of 30,591 and a density of 56.9 persons per km²...
city, Kochi Prefecture
Kochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
, Shikoku Island, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.