Monazite

Monazite is a mineral and an ore of rare earth elements. Chemically, it is a mixture of phosphates of lanthanide elements and thorium.

 Refining 
Dissolving monazite with sodium hydroxide makes a slurry of metal oxides. Adding hydrochloric acid makes a solution of lanthanide chlorides and a residue containing thorium dioxide. The exact process can vary depending on specific properties of the mineral.

 References 

Category:Rare earth minerals
Category:Phosphate minerals