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Glite Dictionary
bastnasite

bastnasite

1 9.9
A yellow-brown mineral that contains metals used in electronics
  • noun
  • /ˈbæstnəˌsaɪt/
  • Specialized
: bastnasita
  • The mine was rich in bastnasite, a crucial mineral for rare earth extraction.

Examples

  • Many industrial applications depend on bastnasite as a primary source of rare earth elements.

  • Geologists identified bastnasite crystals within the rock samples from the new deposit.

  • The mineral bastnasite is crucial for electronics.

  • Scientists study bastnasite for its rare earth elements.

  • Bastnasite is a crucial mineral for extracting bastnasite elements used in modern technology.

  • The mine produces bastnasite, which is essential for the manufacture of high-performance magnets.

  • Researchers are studying bastnasite to improve the extraction process of rare earth carbonates.

Synonyms

bastnaesite
vsbastnasite
  • Specialized
9.9

A yellow or brown mineral that people mine to get rare metals for electronics

is the same mineral but described without those extra chemical specifics

Surface Forms

bastnasite singular
bastnasites plural

Morphology

bastnasite = Bastnäs (semi-transparent) = bastnas + ite

The suffix '-ite' signals a mineral (so the word class is clear), but the base is a place name that does not convey the mineral's properties, so knowing the base does not fully explain the meaning.

Etymology

Bastnasite is named after the Swedish place Bastnäs, where it was first found, plus the common mineral ending -ite (as in graphite) that means 'rock' or 'mineral'. That's why bastnasite is the name for this yellow-to-brown mineral that is an important source of rare earth elements.