Yttrium is a rare earth element which does not occur in
the native state. It occurs in uranium ores and is present
in nearly all the rare earth minerals. It usually exists as a
trivalent ion, Y3+, in its compounds, many of which are colourless.
Its abundance in the Earth's Crust is 33 parts per million by mass, whereas the content in lunar soil samples brought
back from the Moon
ranged from
54 to 213 parts per million (ChC).
Yttrium is extracted from bastnäsite-(Y) or
xenotime-(Y), and from ion absorption clays, mostly in China. It is also
extracted from
samarskite-(Y) and fergusonite-(Y)
(Dana).
Yttrium-bearing minerals include:
Oxides
aeschynite-(Y)
calciosamarskite
crichtonite
davidite-(Ce)
davidite-(La)
dessauite-(Y)
euxenite-(Y)
fergusonite-(Y)
gramaccioliite-(Y)
kobeite-(Y)
oxyyttrobetafite-(Y)
samarskite-(Y)
senaite
yttrotantalite-(Y)
Carbonates
adamsite-(Y)
bastnäsite-(Y)
decrespignyite-(Y)
donnayite-(Y)
ewaldite
kamotoite-(Y)
kimuraite-(Y)
lokkaite-(Y)
mckelveyite-(Y)
synchysite-(Y)
tengerite-(Y)
yuchuanite-(Y)
Sulphates
chinleite-(Y)
Phosphates
churchite-(Y)
xenotime-(Y)
Arsenates
agardite-(Y)
chernovite-(Y)
Molybdates
marsaalamite-(Y)
Tungstates
paraniite-(Y)
Nesosilicates
atelisite-(Y)
britholite-(Y)
cappelenite-(Y)
cayalsite-(Y)
fluorbritholite-(Y)
gadolinite-(Y)
hellandite-(Y)
hingganite-(Y)
iimoriite-(Y)
jingwenite-(Y)
kuliokite-(Y)
minasgeraisite-(Y)
Sorosilicates
allanite-(Y)
keiviite-(Y)
nacareniobsite-(Y)
rinkite-(Y)
rowlandite-(Y)
thalénite-(Y)
vyuntspakhkite-(Y)
yttrialite-(Y)
Cyclosilicates
hyalotekite
kainosite-(Y)
kapitsaite-(Y)
sazykinaite-(Y)
vyuntspakhkite-(Y)
Inosilicates - double chain
caysichite-(Y)
Phyllosilicates
badakhshanite-(Y)
Tectosilicates
wenlanzhangite-(Y)
Oxides - the oxide anion is O2-
Carbonates - the carbonate anion is (CO3)2-
Sulphates - the sulphate anion is (SO4)2-
Phosphates - the phosphate anion is (P5+O4)3-
Arsenates - the arsenate anion is (As5+O4)3-
Molybdates - the molybdate anion is (Mo6+O4)2-
Nesosilicates - insular (Si4+O4)4- groups
Sorosilicates - (Si4+2O7)6- groups
Cyclosilicates - (Si4+nO3n)2n-
Inosilicates - Double Chain - (Si4+4nO11n)6n-
Phyllosilicates - (Si4+2O5)2- groups
Tectosilicate - [Al3+xSi4+OyO(2x+2y)]x−
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