Brannerite Mineral Data

Brannerite Mineral Data +

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General Brannerite Information

Chemical Formula:

(U,Ca,Ce)(Ti,Fe)2O6

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 354.80 gm

Calcium 3.39 % Ca 4.74 % CaO

Cerium 7.90 % Ce 9.25 % Ce₂O₃

Uranium 33.54 % U 38.05 % UO₂

Titanium 20.24 % Ti 33.77 % TiO₂

Iron 7.87 % Fe 10.12 % FeO

Oxygen 27.06 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.94 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

U_0.5Ca_0.3Ce_0.2Ti_1.5Fe²⁺_0.5O₆

Environment:

Found in gold placers.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1920

Locality:

Kelly Gulch, Custer County, Idaho. Stanley Basin, Wyoming. USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the American geologist, G. Branner (1850-1922).

Synonym:

ICSD 201342

Orthobrannerite

PDF 12-477

Brannerite Image

Images:

Brannerite

Comments: Black grains of brannerite with gold and other minerals.
Location: Witwatersrand field, South Africa. Scale: Picture size 4 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Brannerite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =2.3421:1:1.8394

Cell Dimensions:

a = 8.9, b = 3.8, c = 6.99, Z = 2; beta = 104.75° V = 228.61 Den(Calc)= 5.15

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.42(1), 1.903(0.8), 2.455(0.7),

Crystal Structure:

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drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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Szymanski J T , Scott J D , The Canadian Mineralogist , 20 (1982) p.271-280, A crystal structure refinement of synthetic brannerite UTi2O6 and its bearing, on rate of alkaline-carbonate leaching of brannerite in ore

Physical Properties of Brannerite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Brown, Brown green, Yellow, Yellow brown, Black.

Density:

4.5 - 6.35, Average = 5.42

Diaphaniety:

Opaque to subtranslucent

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Crystalline - Fine - Occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals.

Habit:

Metamict - Mineral originally crystalline, now amorphous due to radiation damage.

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Hardness:

4-5 - Fluorite-Apatite

Luminescence:

Highly Radioactive.

Luster:

Adamantine - Resinous

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

dark greenish brown

Optical Properties of Brannerite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.094 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.153 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2456,KPDmeas= 0.2332,KC= 0.2131

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=2.23-2.3.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Brannerite in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
400 nm	13.90
420 nm	13.50
440 nm	13.10
460 nm	12.80
480 nm	12.70
500 nm	12.50
520 nm	12.30
540 nm	12.20
560 nm	12.10
580 nm	12.00
600 nm	11.90
620 nm	11.80
640 nm	11.70
660 nm	11.70
680 nm	11.60
700 nm	11.50

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Brannerite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	80%	100%	160%	240%	320%	400%	480%	560%	640%	720%	730%
R

Calculated Properties of Brannerite

Electron Density:

r_electron=4.82 gm/cc
note: r_Brannerite=5.43 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.03043
Boson Index = 0.96957

Photoelectric:

PE_Brannerite= 904.35 barns/electron
U=PE_Brannerite x r_electron=4,358.53 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 2,547,581.97 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Brannerite 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) 11.94 ± 2.98 grams of pure Brannerite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 1193.9 ±298.49 grams of pure Brannerite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Brannerite** - 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 / 7.06 cm	60,220,716	1.63E-03	2,547,581.97	837.56
100 gm / 3.28 cm	6,022,072	1.63E-04	254,758.20	83.76
10 gm / 1.52 cm	602,207	1.63E-05	25,475.82	8.38
1 gm / 7.06 mm	60,221	1.63E-06	2,547.58	0.84
0.1 gm / 3.28 mm	6,022	1.63E-07	254.76	0.08
0.01 gm / 1.52 mm	602	1.63E-08	25.48	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.71 mm	60	1.63E-09	2.55	0.00

Weight of pure Brannerite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 5.43 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
Estimated Thorium Activity ( 0.39 % Th) From Sum REE Elements ( 7.90 % REE)

Brannerite Classification

Dana Class:

8.3.4.1 (8)Multiple Oxides with Nb, Ta, and Ti

(8.3)where A (B2O6)

(8.3.4)Dana Group

8.3.4.1 Brannerite (U,Ca,Ce)(Ti,Fe)2O6 C 2/m 2/m

8.3.4.2 Thorutite (Th,U,Ca)Ti2(O,OH)6 C 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

IV/D.22-20 IV - Oxides

IV/D - Oxides with metal : oxygen = 1:2 (MO2 and related compounds)

IV/D.22 - Thorutite - Orthobrannerite series

IV/D.22-10 Thorutite (Th,U,Ca)Ti2(O,OH)6 C 2/m 2/m

IV/D.22-20 Brannerite (U,Ca,Ce)(Ti,Fe)2O6 C 2/m 2/m

IV/D.22-30 Orthobrannerite UUTi4O12(OH)2 P 2₁22 2 2 2

Other Brannerite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic3)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Brannerite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 - Crocoite.com Mineral Locations 4 - EUROmin Project 5 -Google Images 6 -Google Scholar 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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Brannerite

(U,Ca,Ce)(Ti,Fe)2O6
Dana No: 8.3.4.1 Strunz No: IV/D.22-20
Locality:

Notes: