Taipingite-(Ce),(Ce73+,Ca2)∑9Mg(SiO4)3[SiO3(OH)]4F3,a new mineral from the Taipingzhen REE deposit,North Qinling Orogen,central China

A new cerite group mineral species,taipingite-(Ce),ideally(Ce7^3+,Ca2)∑9Mg(SiO4)3[SiO3(OH)]4 F3,has been found in the Taipingzhen rare earth element(REE)deposit in the North Qinling Orogen(NQO),Central China.It forms subhedral grains(up to approximately 100 μm×200 μm)commonly intergrown with the REE mineral assemblages and is closely associated with allanite-(Ce),gatelite-(Ce),tornebohmite-(Ce),fluocerite-(Ce),fluocerite-(La),fluorite,bastnasite-(Ce),parisite-(Ce)and calcite.Taipingite-(Ce)is light red to pinkish brown under a binocular microscope and pale brown to colorless in thin section,and it is translucent to transparent with a grayish-white streak and vitreous luster.This mineral is brittle with conchoidal fracture;has a Mohs hardness value of approximately 51/2 and exhibits no cleavage twinning or parting.The calculated density is 4.900(5)g/cm3.Optically,taipingite-(Ce)is uniaxial(+),withω=1.808(5),ε=1.812(7),c=ε,and a=b=ω.Furthermore,this mineral is insoluble in HCl,HNO3 and H2 SO4.Electron microprobe analysis demonstrated that the sample was relatively pure,yielding the empirical formula(with calculated H2 O):(Ce4.02La1.64Nd1.49Pr0.41Sm0.10Gd0.02Ho0.02Tm0.01Lu0.02Y0.03Ca0.66Mg0.05Th(0.01-0.51∑9(Mg0.75Fe0.253+)∑1(SiO4)3{[SiO3(OH)]3.98[PO3(OH)]0.02}∑4(F1.81OH1.17Cl0.02∑3.Taipingite-(Ce)is trigonal and exhibits space group symmetry R3 c with unit cell parameters a=10.7246(3)Å,c=37.9528(14)Å,V=3780.39(20)Å3 and Z=6.The strongest eight lines in the X-ray diffraction pattern are[d in A(I)(hkl)]:4.518(50)(202),3.455(95)(122),3.297(85)(214),3.098(35)(300),2.941(100)(02,10),2.683(65)(220),1.945(40)(238)and 1.754(40)(30,18).The crystal structure has been refined to a R1 factor of 0.025,calculated for the 2312 unique observed reflections(Fo≥4σ).The mineral is named after its discovery locality and is characterized as the F-dominant analogue of cerite-(Ce).