Fluocerite and its alteration products from the Afu Hills, Nigeria

Abstract
Eluvial pebbles from the Afu Hills, Nigeria, are largely composed of fluocerite, Ce0.50La0.28Nd0.11 Pr0.04Th0.03Ca0.02F3, with minor monazite. The fluocerite shows two types of alteration, to bastnäsite, and to bastnäsite-(La) with cerianite. Electron microprobe analyses are given for fluocerite, monazite, bastnäsite and bastnäsite-(La). The refined cell parameters of the fluocerite are a = 7.130±0.001, c = 7.2985 ± 0.001 Å. Strongest lines are 3.204 Å (100), 3.65 (45), 2.059 (45), 2.010 (45) and 3.565 (40). Space group P 63/mcm, Z = 6, Dcalc. = 6.12 g cm−3, ω = 1.613, ε = 1.609 both ±0.002, uniaxial negative. For bastnäsite a = 7.131 ± 0.002, c = 9.786±0.004 Å, for cerianite a = 5.460 ± 0.005 Å.

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