ALLANITE
BY CHISOM IBEMERE
Allanite is a mineral that is a member of the epidote group. It was first discovered in 1810 by the Scottish mineralogist, Thomas Allan, who it was subsequently named after. Allanite is found in a variety of geological environments, including granite, gneiss, and metamorphic rocks.
Allanite is found in various parts of the globe such as Canada, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and South Africa. It occurs in rocks that have undergone regional metamorphism, as well as hydrothermal veins and pegmatites. It is associated with minerals such as quartz, feldspar, mica, and other silicate minerals.
Allanite is primarily valued as a collector’s mineral due to its aesthetic qualities, which can include color variations and crystal formations. It is also used as an ore mineral for the extraction of rare earth elements (REEs). Rare earth elements are vital in the manufacturing of high-tech devices, including smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles. Allanite can contain significant amounts of rare earth elements such as cerium, lanthanum, and yttrium, making it a potential source for these critical elements.
Allanite is a complex silicate mineral that can exhibit a range of colors including green, brown, black, or even reddish. It has a vitreous to resinous luster and can occur in prismatic or tabular crystal formations. The mineral has a hardness of 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale and a specific gravity that typically ranges from 3.4 to 4. It can also display pleochroism, meaning it shows different colors when viewed from different angles.
The global value of Allanite largely depends on its use as a source of rare earth elements. As the demand for rare earth elements continues to rise, there is increasing interest in exploring and extracting these elements from minerals like allanite. However, it should be noted that allanite is not the primary source for rare earth elements, and mining and processing techniques still need to be developed to extract the rare earth elements efficiently from this mineral. Therefore, its current global value remains relatively low compared to the more critical sources of rare earth elements such as bastnäsite and monazite.