A rare earth carbonate mineral, one of the two principal ores of the light rare earths.
A rare earth carbonate-fluoride mineral [(Ce,La,Y)CO3F] that is the primary ore mineral for light rare earth production. Major bastnasite deposits are found in China (Bayan Obo) and the United States (Mountain Pass), accounting for most global rare earth supply.
Which mineral hosts the rare earths determines the processing route, and processing is where rare earth projects usually fail. Bastnasite and monazite behave differently, and monazite carries thorium, which brings radioactive handling into the permitting.