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Formula: La
Lanthanide and rare earth metal; element, not found in the native state
Specific gravity: 6.16
Hardness: 2.5 mohs
Colour: Silvery white
Melting point: 1540oC
Boiling point: 2830oC
Abundance in the Earth's crust: 34 parts per million by mass, 5 parts per million by moles
(ChC).
Abundance in the Solar System: 2 parts per billion by mass, 0.01 parts per billion by moles
(ChC).
Lanthanum usually exists as a trivalent ion, La3+, in its compounds; it is not found free in nature, but
occurs mainly in the minerals monazite and
bastnäsite-(La)
(ChC).
Lanthanum-bearing minerals include:
Oxides - the oxide anion is O2-
davidite-(La)
Fluorides - the fluoride anion is F-
fluocerite-(La)
Carbonates - the carbonate anion is (CO3)2-
ancylite-(La)
bastnäsite-(La)
calcioancylite-(La)
carbocernaite
cordylite-(La)
gysinite-(La)
kozoite-(La)
kukharenkoite-(La)
lanthanite-(La)
parisite-(La)
rémondite-(La)
Phosphates - the phosphate anion is (P5+O4)3-
belovite-(La)
monazite-(La)
rhabdophane-(La)
Arsenates - the arsenate anion is (As5+O4)3-
agardite-(La)
graulichite-(La)
retzian-(La)
Nesosilicates - insular (Si4+O4)4- groups
cerite-(CeCa)
ferricerite-(LaCa)
törnebohmite-(La)
vicanite-(Ce)
Sorosilicates - (Si4+2O7)6- groups
alexkuznetsovite-(La)
allanite-(La)
perrierite-(La)
Cyclosilicates - (Si4+nO3n)2n- groups
orthojoaquinite-(La)
Phyllosilicates - (Si4+2O5)2- groups
nordite-(La)
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