What is a monazite sand?

Definition of monazite : a yellow to red or brown mineral that is a phosphate of thorium and various rare earth elements and occurs especially in sand and gravel deposits.

What can monazite be used for?

Monazite is a primary ore of several rare earth metals most notably thorium, cerium and lanthanum. Thorium is a highly radioactive metal and could be used as a replacement for uranium in nuclear power generation. Monazite therefore is an extremely important ore mineral.

What is monazite sand found in India?

Monazite is an atomic mineral that occurs naturally in the coastal sands of three districts: Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari. It yields a number of rare-earth elements, such as neodymium and praseodymium.

How is monazite sand a valuable resources?

Due to the alpha decay of thorium and uranium, monazite contains a significant amount of helium, which can be extracted by heating. Monazite is an important ore for thorium, lanthanum, and cerium. It is often found in placer deposits. India, Madagascar, and South Africa have large deposits of monazite sands.

Which of the following is found in monazite sand?

thorium mineral
The thorium mineral sand is contained in the monazite sand. Thus, option 3. Thorium is the correct answer.

What does monazite look like?

Monazite is a yellowish brown to reddish brown or greenish brown mineral with a resinous to vitreous luster. It is translucent and rarely seen in large grains or as well-formed crystals. Granular masses are sometimes seen where monazite is locally abundant.

What are uses of thorium?

Applications of Thorium

• As thorium is radioactive, its uses mainly lie in nuclear fuel applications.
• It is helpful in radiometric dating.
• Used as an alloying element in magnesium, to coat tungsten wire in electrical equipment.
• Used in manufacturing of lenses for cameras and scientific instruments.

Why are monazite sands in Kerala useful?

What is zirconium used for?

Zirconium(IV) oxide is used in ultra-strong ceramics. It is used to make crucibles that will withstand heat-shock, furnace linings, foundry bricks, abrasives and by the glass and ceramics industries. It is so strong that even scissors and knives can be made from it.

Which mineral is contained in the monazite sand?

monazite sand is formed by the decomposed uranium &thorium i contains significant amount of helium which usually extracted by heating it. & monazite sand is an important ore for lanthanum,cerium,thorium. large deposits are found in india,madagascar&south africa.

Which are minerals contained in the monazite sands?

Monazite sand deposits are inevitably of the monazite- ( Ce) composition. Typically, the lanthanides in such monazites contain about 45-48\% cerium, about 24\% lanthanum, about 17\% neodymium, about 5\% praseodymium, and minor quantities of samarium, gadolinium, and yttrium.

Is uranium found in the monazite sand of Kerala?

The largest source of uranium comprise the monazite sands, both beach and alluvial. Monazite sand rich in uranium is found in Kerala. Some uranium is found in the copper and zinc mines of Udaipur (Rajasthan).