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 - the oxide anion is O2-
aeschynite-(Y)
calciosamarskite
crichtonite
davidite-(Ce)
davidite-(La)
euxenite-(Y)
fergusonite-(Y)
gramaccioliite-(Y)
kobeite-(Y)
oxyyttrobetafite-(Y)
samarskite-(Y)
senaite
yttrotantalite-(Y)
Carbonates - the carbonate anion is (CO3)2-
adamsite-(Y)
bastnäsite-(Y)
decrespignyite-(Y)
donnayite-(Y)
ewaldite
kamotoite-(Y)
kimuraite-(Y)
lokkaite-(Y)
mckelveyite-(Y)
synchysite-(Y)
tengerite-(Y)
yuchuanite-(Y)
Sulphates - the sulphate anion is (SO4)2-
chinleite-(Y)
Phosphates - the phosphate anion is (P5+O4)3-
churchite-(Y)
xenotime-(Y)
Arsenates - the arsenate anion is (As5+O4)3-
agardite-(Y)
chernovite-(Y)
Nesosilicates - insular (Si4+O4)4- groups
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 - (Si4+2O7)6- groups
allanite-(Y)
keiviite-(Y)
nacareniobsite-(Y)
rinkite-(Y)
rowlandite-(Y)
thalénite-(Y)
vyuntspakhkite-(Y)
yttrialite-(Y)
Cyclosilicates - (Si4+nO3n)2n-
hyalotekite
kainosite-(Y)
sazykinaite-(Y)
vyuntspakhkite-(Y)
Inosilicates - double chain - (Si4+4nO11n)6n-
caysichite-(Y)
Phyllosilicates - (Si4+2O5)2- groups
badakhshanite-(Y)
Tectosilicates
wenlanzhangite-(Y)
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