Abstract
Trace amount of rare earth elements (REEs) induces significant effects on the crystal growth and dissolution of calcium carbonate. The substantial increase in the solubility of CaCO3, the stabilization of the vaterite and the inhibition of calcite growth were caused by the addition of trace amount of lanthanum into the aqueous solutions.1 The uptake mechanism and chemical state of REEs incorporated into calcium carbonate are unclear. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) in a fluorescence mode is practically the only method for the structural characterization of trace elements in the solid materials. In the present work, we investigated the chemical species and local structure of ytterbium (Yb) incorporated in calcite and aragonite using XANES and EXAFS technique.
