Patent ID: 7470297

Claim:
A process for producing a cerium-containing abrasive comprising cubic composite rare earth oxide and composite rare earth oxy-fluoride, wherein the cerium-containing abrasive contains not less than 90 mass % of rare earth elements in terms of oxide and the rare earth elements contain not less than 55 mass % of cerium in terms of oxide, comprising firing at 500 to 1100° C. a mixed light rare earth compound which has been obtained by chemically removing medium-to-heavy rare earth elements, Nd and impurities other than rare earth elements from an ore containing rare earth elements to thereby yield a mixed rare earth oxide, and adding a cerium-based rare earth fluoride to the mixed rare earth oxide to obtain an abrasive that contains not less than 90 mass % of rare earth elements in terms of oxide and the rare earth elements contain not less than 55 mass % of cerium in terms of oxide.