les . ▁Mon az ite ▁sand ▁was ▁quickly ▁adopted ▁as ▁the ▁thor ium ▁source ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁rare - ear th ▁industry . ▁ ▁Mon az ite ▁sand ▁was ▁also ▁briefly ▁m ined ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁but , ▁shortly ▁there after , ▁extensive ▁depos its ▁in ▁southern ▁India ▁were ▁found . ▁Brazil ian ▁and ▁Indian ▁mon az ite ▁domin ated ▁the ▁industry ▁before ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁after ▁which ▁major ▁min ing ▁activity ▁transferred ▁to ▁South ▁Africa . ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁large ▁mon az ite ▁depos its ▁in ▁Australia . ▁ ▁Mon az ite ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁significant ▁source ▁of ▁commercial ▁l anth an ides , ▁but ▁concern ▁over ▁the ▁dispos al ▁of ▁the ▁radio active ▁daughter ▁products ▁of ▁thor ium , ▁bast n ä site ▁came ▁to ▁dis place ▁mon az ite ▁in ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁l anth an ides ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁much ▁lower ▁thor ium ▁content . ▁In cre ased ▁interest ▁in ▁thor ium ▁for ▁nuclear ▁energy ▁may ▁bring ▁mon az ite ▁back ▁into ▁commercial ▁use . ▁ ▁Min eral ization ▁and ▁extra ction ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁their ▁high ▁density , ▁mon az ite ▁min er als ▁concent rate ▁in ▁all uv ial ▁s ands ▁when ▁released ▁by ▁the ▁weather ing ▁of ▁p eg mat ites . ▁These ▁so - called ▁pla cer ▁depos its ▁are ▁often ▁beach ▁or ▁foss il ▁beach ▁s ands ▁and ▁contain ▁other ▁heavy ▁min er als ▁of ▁commercial ▁interest ▁such ▁as ▁z ir