China discovers new rare-earth mineral, named after a senior Chinese mineralogist

China recently discovered a new rare-earth mineral in South China's Guangdong Province, which was named after a senior Chinese mineralogist Chen Yuchuan, further supporting rare-earth resources exploration in the region. 

According to the official website of the Institute of Mineral Resources under Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (CAGS), the new mineral named yuchuanite-(Y) was discovered by Liu Peng, researcher of CAGS and associate professor of State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics under Northwest University (NWU), in Yushui copper mine which is located in northeastern Guangdong Province. 

The new mineral was co-submitted by research groups from CAGS and NWU to the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association, which was officially approved and numbered as IMA2022-120. 

The research team said that the discovery of yuchuanite-(Y) enriched the formation types of rare-earth minerals, which also provides evidence to support further exploration of rare- earth mineral resources in southwestern China.