Wakefieldite‐(Nd), a New Neodymium Vanadate Mineral in the Arase Stratiform Ferromanganese Deposit, Kochi Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

AbstractWakefieldite‐(Nd), NdVO4, is a new mineral found from the Arase stratiform ferromanganese deposit in Kochi Prefecture, Shikoku Island, Japan. It is the Nd‐dominant analogue of wakefieldite‐(Y) and wakefieldite‐(Ce). The ferromanganese ore specimen mainly consists of hematite and caryopilite, and wakefieldite‐(Nd) is typically enclosed in caryopilite. Wakefieldite‐(Nd) is tetragonal, I41/amd, a = 7.338(16) Å, c = 6.509(19) Å, V = 350.5(18) Å3, Z = 4. The four strongest lines in the X‐ray diffraction pattern [d(Å), I/I0, hkl] using a Gandolfi camera are (3.67, 100, 200); (2.74, 51, 112); (4.84, 27, 101) and (1.89, 25, 312). Chemical composition of wakefieldite‐(Nd) are V2O3 35.25, As2O3 0.93, SiO2 0.14, MnO 1.45, Fe2O3 0.41, Y2O3 2.87, La2O3 7.61, Ce2O3 7.37, Pr2O3 6.04, Nd2O3 26.79, Sm2O3 4.41, Eu2O3 1.36, Gd2O3 3.41, Tb2O3 0.22, Dy2O3 1.41, Er2O3 0.10, total 99.77 wt.%. The empirical formula is (Nd0.403La0.118Ce0.114Pr0.093Y0.064Sm0.064Mn0.052Gd0.048Eu0.020Dy0.019Fe0.013Tb0.003Er0.001)1.012(V0.981As0.020Si0.006)1.007O4 on the basis of O = 4. The calculated density is 4.782 g/cm3.Microtexture and co‐existing relationship between wakefieldite‐(Nd) and caryopilite suggest that recrystallization and dehydration of Fe‐ and Mn‐oxyhydroxide led to the generation of hematite, caryopilite, rhodochrosite and wakefieldite‐(Nd) by the metamorphism during the accretion of the host unit of the Arase deposit. Chondrite‐normalized REE pattern of the host ferromanganese ore, which is regarded as oceanic metalliferous sediment in origin, shows negative Ce anomaly. Chemical composition of wakefieldite‐(Nd) reflects Ce‐depleted bulk composition of REE‐enriched ferromanganese ore.