Luminescence properties of rare earth ions in fluorite, apatite and scheelite minerals

The steady-state luminescence spectroscopy was used for identification of RE ions in fluorite CaF2, apatite Ca-5[(PO4)(3)vertical bar F] and scheelite CaWO4 minerals. By using selective excitation the luminescence spectra were ascribed to Er3+, Ho3+, Dy3+ and Sm3+ ions in fluorites and Sm3+, Pr3+ and Eu3+ in apatites besides the presence of Ce3+ and Eu2+ ions. For the scheelite the luminescence was ascribed to the Eu3+, Er3+, Dy3+, Sm3+ and Pr3+ ions besides the luminescence of intrinsic [WO4](2-) group. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.