Synthesis of bastnaesite¹

In the course of a study of rare-earth fluocarbonate minerals, laboratory experiments were made in an attempt to synthesize bastnaesite. Seven of the runs were successful. Attempts to synthesize the rare-earth fluocarbonates directly from the rare-earth nitrates were unsuccessful. It was found, however, that the rare-earth carbonates could be converted to the fluocarbonate. For the successful runs the carbonate was first prepared by the reaction of the particular rare-earth nitrate with sodium carbonate. Analysis, in per cent, of the resultant basic carbonate, Ce₂O(CO₃)₂ · 4H₂O, is as follows