Billietite Mineral Data

Billietite Mineral Data +

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General Billietite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ba(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,995.60 gm

Barium 6.88 % Ba 7.68 % BaO

Uranium 71.57 % U 81.19 % UO₂

Hydrogen 0.71 % H 6.32 % H₂O

Oxygen 20.85 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.19 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ba(UO₂)₆O₄(OH)₆·4(H₂O)

Environment:

Occurs as an uncommon product of uraninite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1947

Locality:

At Shinkolobwe and the Musonoi mine, Kolwezi, Shaba Province, Congo (Zaire). Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

For Valere Louis Billiet (1903-1944), Belgian crystallographer, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.

Synonym:

ICSD 202478

PDF 29-218

Billietite Image

Images:

Billietite

Comments: Clear, yellow crystal of billietite.
Location: Shinkolobwe mine, Tantara, Shaba, Dem. Repub. Congo. Scale: Size Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Billietite Studtite

Comments: Acicular, white sprays of studtite crystals on yellow, tabular billietite.
Location: Shinkolobwe mine, Tantara, Shaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Billietite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.4001:1:0.2368

Cell Dimensions:

a = 12.072, b = 30.167, c = 7.1455, Z = 4; V = 2,602.22 Den(Calc)= 5.09

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - PyramidalH-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: Pbn21

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.56(1), 3.183(0.35), 3.78(0.25),

Crystal Structure:

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Pagoaga M K , Appleman D E , Stewart J M , American Mineralogist , 72 (1987) p.1230-1238, Crystal structures and crystal chemistry of the uranyl oxide hydrates, becquerelite, billietite, and protasite, Note: y-coordinate of O601u atom changed to make calculated bond lengths, match those published

Physical Properties of Billietite

Cleavage:

[001] Perfect

Color:

Yellow brown, Golden yellow.

Density:

5.27 - 5.29, Average = 5.27

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to Translucent

Luster:

Adamantine

Streak:

yellow

Optical Properties of Billietite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.327 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.377 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1549,KPDmeas= 0.1493,KC= 0.1125

Optical Data:

Biaxial (?), a=1.76, b=1.8, g=1.805, bire=0.0450, 2V(Calc)=38, 2V(Meas)=37.

Calculated Properties of Billietite

Electron Density:

r_electron=4.39 gm/cc
note: r_Billietite=5.28 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.01751
Boson Index = 0.98249

Photoelectric:

PE_Billietite=1,985.07 barns/electron
U=PE_Billietite x r_electron=8,718.58 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 5,074,315.35 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Billietite 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) 5.99 ± 1.50 grams of pure Billietite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 599.42 ±149.86 grams of pure Billietite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Billietite** - 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 / 7.13 cm	128,103,605	3.46E-03	5,074,315.35	1,668.27
100 gm / 3.31 cm	12,810,361	3.46E-04	507,431.54	166.83
10 gm / 1.54 cm	1,281,036	3.46E-05	50,743.15	16.68
1 gm / 7.13 mm	128,104	3.46E-06	5,074.32	1.67
0.1 gm / 3.31 mm	12,810	3.46E-07	507.43	0.17
0.01 gm / 1.54 mm	1,281	3.46E-08	50.74	0.02
0.001 gm / 0.71 mm	128	3.46E-09	5.07	0.00

Weight of pure Billietite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 5.28 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

Billietite Classification

Dana Class:

5.7.1.3 (5)Oxides Containing Uranium and Thorium

(5.7)with alkaline or hydrated hydroxide components

(5.7.1)Dana Group

5.7.1.1 Compreignacite K2(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8(H2O) Pnmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

5.7.1.2 Becquerelite Ca(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8(H2O) Pn21a mm2

5.7.1.3 Billietite Ba(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8(H2O) Pbn21 mm2

Strunz Class:

IV/H.03-40 IV - Oxides

IV/H - Uranyl ([UO2]2+) hydroxides and hydrates

IV/H.03 - Comperignacite - Billietite series

IV/H.03-10 Compreignacite K2(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8(H2O) Pnmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

IV/H.03-20 Becquerelite Ca(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8(H2O) Pn21a mm2

IV/H.03-30 Protasite Ba(UO2)3O3(OH)2·3(H2O) Pn m

IV/H.03-40 Billietite Ba(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8(H2O) Pbn21 mm2

Other Billietite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic3) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

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Billietite

Ba(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8(H2O)
Dana No: 5.7.1.3 Strunz No: IV/H.03-40
Locality:

Notes: