Monazite-(Gd), a new Gd-dominant mineral of the monazite group from the Zimná Voda REE–U–Au quartz vein, Prakovce, Western Carpathians, Slovakia

Abstract

Abstract Monazite-(Gd), ideally GdPO4, is a new mineral of the monazite group. It was discovered near Prakovce-Zimná Voda, ~23 km WNW of Košice, Western Carpathians, Slovakia. It forms anhedral domains (≤100 μm, mostly 10–50 μm in size), in close association with monazite-(Sm), Gd-bearing xenotime-(Y), Gd-bearing hingganite-(Y), fluorapatite and uraninite. All these minerals are hosted in a REE–U–Au quartz–muscovite vein, hosted in phyllites in an exocontact to granites. The density calculated using the average empirical formula and unit-cell parameters is 5.55 g/cm3. The average chemical composition measured by means of electron microprobe is as follows (wt.%): P2O5 29.68, As2O5 0.15, SiO2 0.07, ThO2 0.01, UO2 0.04, Y2O3 1.30, La2O3 3.19, Ce2O3 6.93, Pr2O3 1.12, Nd2O3 10.56, Sm2O3 17.36, Eu2O3 1.49, Gd2O3 22.84, Tb2O3 1.57, Dy2O3 2.27, CaO 0.21, total 99.67. The corresponding empirical formula calculated on the basis of 4 oxygen atoms is: (Gd0.30Sm0.24Nd0.15Ce0.10La0.05Dy0.03Y0.03Tb0.02Eu0.02Pr0.02Ca0.01)0.98P1.01O4. The ideal formula is GdPO4. The monazite-type structure has been confirmed by micro-Raman spectroscopy and selected-area electron diffraction. Monazite-(Gd) is monoclinic, space group P21/n, a = 6.703(1) Å, b = 6.914(1) Å, c = 6.383(1) Å, β = 103.8(1)°, V = 287.3(1) Å3 and Z = 4. The middle REE enrichment of monazite-(Gd) is shared with the associated Gd-bearing xenotime-(Y) to ‘xenotime-(Gd)’ and Gd-bearing hingganite-(Y). This exotic REE signature and precipitation of Gd-bearing mineral assemblage is a product of selective complexing and enrichment in middle REE in low-temperature hydrothermal fluids by alteration of primary uraninite, brannerite and fluorapatite on a micro-scale. The new mineral is named as an analogue of monazite-(La), monazite-(Ce), monazite-(Nd) and monazite-(Sm) but with Gd dominant among the REE.