Francoisite-(Ce), a new mineral species from La Creusaz uranium deposit (Valais, Switzerland) and from Radium Ridge (Flinders Ranges, South Australia): Description and genesis
Date
2010
Authors
Meisser, N.
Brugger, J.
Ansermet, S.
Thelin, P.
Bussy, F.
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Journal article
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American Mineralogist: an international journal of earth and planetary materials, 2010; 95(10):1527-1532
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Nicolas Meisser, Joël Brugger, Stefan Ansermet, Philippe Thélin, and François Bussy
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Abstract
The new mineral françoisite-(Ce), (Ce,Nd,Ca)[(UO2)3O(OH)(PO4)2]•6H2O is the Ce-analog of françoisite-(Nd). It has been discovered simultaneously at the La Creusaz uranium deposit near Les Marécottes in Valais, Switzerland, and at the Number 2 uranium Workings, Radium Ridge near Mt. Painter, Arkaroola area, Northern Flinders Ranges in South Australia. Françoisite-(Ce) is a uranylbearing supergene mineral that results from the alteration under oxidative conditions of REE- and U4+- bearing hypogene minerals: allanite-(Ce), monazite-(Ce), ±uraninite at Les Marécottes; monazite-(Ce), ishikawaite-samarskite, and an unknown primary U-mineral at Radium Ridge. The REE composition of françoisite-(Ce) results from a short aqueous transport of REE leached out of primary minerals [most likely monazite-(Ce) at Radium Ridge and allanite-(Ce) at La Creusaz], with fractionation among REE resulting mainly from aqueous transport, with only limited Ce loss due to oxidation to Ce4+ during transport.
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© 2010 Mineralogical Society of America