Fergusonite-(Nd) Mineral Data

General Fergusonite-(Nd) Information

Chemical Formula:

(Nd,Ce)(Nb,Ti)O4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 267.16 gm

Cerium 10.49 % Ce 12.29 % Ce₂O₃

La,Ce,Pr,Nd,Sm, 16.17 % RE 18.86 % REE₂O₃

Titanium 3.58 % Ti 5.98 % TiO₂

Niobium 27.82 % Nb 39.80 % Nb₂O₅

Iron 4.18 % Fe 5.38 % FeO

Neodymium 16.20 % Nd 18.89 % Nd₂O₃

Oxygen 21.56 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 101.20 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Nd_0.3Ce_0.2Fe²⁺_0.2REE_0.3Nb_0.8Ti_0.2O_3.6

Environment:

Rare-earth deposit.

IMA Status:

Not Approved IMA 1987

Locality:

Bayan Obo, Inner Mongolia, China. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the composition and a member of the fergusonite group.

Name Pronunciation:

Fergusonite-(Nd) + Pronunciation

Fergusonite-(Nd) Image

Images:

Fergusonite-(Nd) Ferriallanite-(Ce)

Comments: Orange-brown ferusonite-(Nd) grains in ferriallanite-(Ce) zone of the vein. Main black inclusions are ferriallanite-(Ce) crystals. White matrix is mixture of calcian strontianite and strontian calcite.
Location: Tornebohmite vein, Biraya Fe-REE ore occurrence, Biraya and Bya Rivers confluence area (Chara Basin), Vitim Plateau, Buriatia (Buryatia) Republic, Transbaikalia (Zabaykalye), Eastern-Siberian Region, Russia. Scale: FOV 1 cm.
© Pavel M. Kartashov

Fergusonite-(Nd) Crystallography

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (4/m) Space Group: I 4₁/a

Physical Properties of Fergusonite-(Nd)

Cleavage:

{???} Indistinct

Color:

Dark brown.

Density:

4.5 - 5.7, Average = 5.09

Diaphaneity:

Translucent to Opaque

Hardness:

5.5-6.5 - Knife Blade-Pyrite

Luster:

Adamantine

Streak:

brown

Optical Properties of Fergusonite-(Nd)

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.176 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
KPDmeas= 0.2451,KC= 0.2084
Ncalc = 1.94 - 2.19

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=2.2, w=2.3, bire=0.1000.

Calculated Properties of Fergusonite-(Nd)

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.55 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Fergusonite-(Nd) =5.10 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.06
Boson Index = 0.94

Photoelectric:

PE_{Fergusonite-(Nd)}= 298.37 barns/electron
U=PE_{Fergusonite-(Nd)} x r_electron=1,356.71 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 40,812.29 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Fergusonite-(Nd) per GRapi unit = 24.50 (PPM)

Fergusonite-(Nd) is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 745.28 ±186.32 grams of pure Fergusonite-(Nd) .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Fergusonite-(Nd)** - weak
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Bequerols (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 7.21 cm	961,270	2.60E-05	40,812.29	13.42
100 gm / 3.35 cm	96,127	2.60E-06	4,081.23	1.34
10 gm / 1.55 cm	9,613	2.60E-07	408.12	0.13
1 gm / 7.21 mm	961	2.60E-08	40.81	0.01
0.1 gm / 3.35 mm	96	2.60E-09	4.08	0.00
0.01 gm / 1.55 mm	10	2.60E-10	0.41	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.72 mm	1	2.60E-11	0.04	0.00

Weight of pure Fergusonite-(Nd) in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 5.10 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem
Estimated Thorium Activity ( 2.14 % Th) From Sum REE Elements (42.86 % REE)

Fergusonite-(Nd) Classification

Dana Class:

08.01.01.04 (08)Multiple Oxides with Nb, Ta, and Ti

(08.01)where A BO4

(08.01.01)Fergusonite Group (Tetragonal)

08.01.01.01 Fergusonite-(Y) YNbO4 I 4₁/a 4/m

08.01.01.02 Formanite-(Y) YTaO4 I 4₁/a 4/m

08.01.01.03 Fergusonite-(Ce)* (Ce,La,Y)NbO4 I 4₁/a 4/m

08.01.01.04 Fergusonite-(Nd)* (Nd,Ce)(Nb,Ti)O4 I 4₁/a 4/m

Strunz Class:

07.GA.05 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.G - Molybdates, Wolframates and Niobates

07.GA -Without additional anions or H2O

07.GA.05 Fergusonite-(Ce)* (Ce,La,Y)NbO4 I 4₁/a 4/m

07.GA.05 Fergusonite-(Nd)* (Nd,Ce)(Nb,Ti)O4 I 4₁/a 4/m

07.GA.05 Fergusonite-(Y) YNbO4 I 4₁/a 4/m

07.GA.05 Stolzite PbWO4 I 4₁/a 4/m

07.GA.05 Scheelite CaWO4 I 4₁/a 4/m

07.GA.05 Powellite CaMoO4 I 4₁/a 4/m

07.GA.05 Wulfenite PbMoO4 I 4₁/a 4/m

Other Fergusonite-(Nd) Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.74,p946,1989) OPTIC PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.74,p946,1989)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Fergusonite-(Nd) :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
9 - MinDAT
10 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
11 - Online Mineral Museum
12 - QUT Mineral Atlas
13 - Ruff.Info

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Fergusonite-(Nd)

(Nd,Ce)(Nb,Ti)O4
Dana No: 08.01.01.04 Strunz No: 07.GA.05
Locality:

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