noun
- A dark brown or black mineral containing rare earth elements, calcium, iron, and aluminum silicates; used as a source of rare earth metals.
Usage: technical; mineralogy
Examples
- Allanite is commonly found in granitic rocks and metamorphic deposits.
- Geologists study allanite to understand the distribution of rare earth elements in the Earth's crust.
- The dark crystals of allanite can be identified in thin sections under a microscope.
- Allanite serves as an important ore mineral for extracting rare earth metals used in modern technology.