Althupite Mineral Data

Althupite Mineral Data +

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General Althupite Information

Chemical Formula:

ThAl(UO2)7(PO4)4(OH)5·15(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 2,884.36 gm

Thorium 8.04 % Th 9.15 % ThO₂

Uranium 57.77 % U 65.53 % UO₂

Aluminum 0.94 % Al 1.77 % Al₂O₃

Phosphorus 4.30 % P 9.84 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.22 % H 10.93 % H₂O

Oxygen 27.73 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 97.23 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

ThAl(UO₂)₇(PO₄)₄(OH)₅·15(H₂O)

Environment:

A secondary mineral in the uraniferous zone of an altered granite pegmatite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1986

Locality:

At the Kobokobo pegmatite, Lusungu River district, Kivu Province, Congo (Zaire). Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

For the major cations in the composition, Aluminum, Thorium, Uranium, Phosphorus.

Synonym:

ICSD 202166

PDF 40-503

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Althupite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5899:1:0.7273

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.953, b = 18.567, c = 13.504, Z = 2; alpha = 72.64°, beta = 68.2°, gamma = 84.21° V = 2,421.27 Den(Calc)= 3.96

Crystal System:

Triclinic - PinacoidalH-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 10.2(1), 5.09(0.7), 5.8(0.5),

Crystal Structure:

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drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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Piret P , Deliens M , Bulletin de Mineralogie , 110 (1987) p.65-72, Les phosphates d uranyle et d aluminium de Kobokobo

Physical Properties of Althupite

Cleavage:

[???] Good

Color:

Yellow.

Density:

3.9

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to Translucent

Hardness:

3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

yellow white

Optical Properties of Althupite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.191 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.173 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1638,KPDmeas= 0.1663,KC= 0.1397

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.62, b=1.661, g=1.665, bire=0.0450, 2V(Calc)=34, 2V(Meas)=34.

Calculated Properties of Althupite

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.41 gm/cc
note: r_Althupite=3.96 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00429
Boson Index = 0.99571

Photoelectric:

PE_Althupite=1,718.60 barns/electron
U=PE_Althupite x r_electron=5,861.01 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,388,253.58 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Althupite is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 10 cm box) 6.93 ± 1.73 grams of pure Althupite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 693.14 ±173.28 grams of pure Althupite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Althupite** - very strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Bequerols (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 7.84 cm	107,006,392	2.89E-03	4,388,253.58	1,442.71
100 gm / 3.64 cm	10,700,639	2.89E-04	438,825.36	144.27
10 gm / 1.69 cm	1,070,064	2.89E-05	43,882.54	14.43
1 gm / 7.84 mm	107,006	2.89E-06	4,388.25	1.44
0.1 gm / 3.64 mm	10,701	2.89E-07	438.83	0.14
0.01 gm / 1.69 mm	1,070	2.89E-08	43.88	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.78 mm	107	2.89E-09	4.39	0.00

Weight of pure Althupite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.96 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem

Althupite Classification

Dana Class:

42.4.13.1 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(42.4)where (AB)5 (XO4)2 Zq · x(H2O)

(42.4.13)Dana Group

42.4.13.1 Althupite ThAl(UO2)7(PO4)4(OH)5·15(H2O) P1 1

Strunz Class:

VII/E.07-130 VII - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates

VII/E - Uranylphosphates and uranylvanadates with [UO2]2+ - [PO4 | AsO4]3- and [UO2]2+ - [V2O8]6-

VII/E.07 - Phosphuranylite series

VII/E.07-10 Phuralumite Al2(UO2)3(PO4)2(OH)6·10(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

VII/E.07-20 Mundite Al(UO2)3(PO4)2(OH)3·5(H2O) P 2₁cn,Pmcn Ortho

VII/E.07-25 Yingjiangite (K2,Ca)(UO2)7(PO4)4(OH)6·6(H2O) Bmmb 2/m 2/m 2/m

VII/E.07-30 Phosphuranylite KCa(H3O)3(UO2)7(PO4)4O4·8(H2O) C mcm 2/m 2/m 2/m

VII/E.07-40 Phurcalite Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2·7(H2O) P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m

VII/E.07-50 Arsenuranylite Ca(UO2)4(AsO4)2(OH)4·6(H2O) Bmmb 2/m 2/m 2/m

VII/E.07-60 Bergenite Ca2Ba4[(UO3)2O2(PO4)2]3(H2O)16 P 2₁/c 2/m

VII/E.07-70 Francoisite-(Nd) (Nd,Y,Sm,Ce)(UO2)3(PO4)2O(OH)·6(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

VII/E.07-80 Dewindtite Pb3[H(UO2)3O2(PO4)2]2·12(H2O) Bmmb 2/m 2/m 2/m

VII/E.07-90 Dumontite Pb2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2·5(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

VII/E.07-100 Hugelite Pb2(UO2)3(AsO4)2(OH)4·3(H2O) P 2₁/m 2/m

VII/E.07-110 Kamitugaite PbAl(UO2)5(PO4)2(OH)9·9.5(H2O) P1,P 1 Tri

VII/E.07-120 Kivuite? (Th,Ca,Pb)H2(UO2)4(PO4)2(OH)8·7(H2O) Unk Ortho

VII/E.07-130 Althupite ThAl(UO2)7(PO4)4(OH)5·15(H2O) P1 1

VII/E.07-140 Vanmeersscheite U(UO2)3(PO4)2(OH)6·4(H2O) P mn2₁ mm2

VII/E.07-150 Metavanmeersscheite U(UO2)3(PO4)2(OH)6·2(H2O) F dd2 mm2

Other Althupite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Bull.Miner.,Vol.107-111,1984-1988) OPTIC PROP.(Bull.Miner.,Vol.107-111,1984-1988)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Althupite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 - EUROmin Project 4 -Google Images 5 -Google Scholar 6 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) 7 -MinDAT 8 -MinMax(Deutsch) 9 -MinMax(English) 10 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 11 -QUT Mineral Atlas 12 - Uranium Minerals 13 - WWW-MINCRYST 14 -École des Mines de Paris

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Althupite

ThAl(UO2)7(PO4)4(OH)5·15(H2O)
Dana No: 42.4.13.1 Strunz No: VII/E.07-130
Locality:

Notes: