Oursinite Mineral Data

Oursinite Mineral Data
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General Oursinite Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: (Co,Mg)(H3O)2[(UO2)SiO4]2•3(H2O)
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 871.78 gm
   Magnesium   0.28 %  Mg    0.46 % MgO
   Uranium    54.61 %  U    61.95 % UO2
   Cobalt      6.08 %  Co    7.74 % CoO
   Silicon     6.44 %  Si   13.78 % SiO2
   Hydrogen    1.39 %  H    12.40 % H2O
   Oxygen     31.20 %  O
             ______        ______ 
             100.00 %       96.33 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Co0.9Mg0.1(H3O)2(UO2)2(SiO4)2•3(H2O)
Help on Environment: Environment: In the oxidation zones of uranium ores.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Approved IMA 1983
Help on Locality: Locality: Shikolobwe, Shava, Zaire. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named from the French "oursin", sea urchin, in allusion to the radiating habit of the acicular crystals.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Oursinite + Pronunciation Say OURSINITE
 

Oursinite Image

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Oursinite

Comments: Yellow velvety acicular sprays of oursinite crystals on matrix.
Location: Shinkolobwe Mine (Kasolo Mine), Shinkolobwe, Central area, Katanga Copper Crescent, Katanga (Shaba), Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire). Scale: Picture Size 8 x 6 mm.
© Sandro Maggia/Minernet.it

Oursinite Crystallography
Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.7259:1:0.4017
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 12.74, b = 17.55, c = 7.05, Z = 4; V = 1,576.29 Den(Calc)= 3.67
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: OrthorhombicSpace Group: Aba2,Abam
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 8.73(1), 2.853(0.9), 7.2(0.7),
Click Here for Large Oursinite Structure Window Crystal Structure:

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Kabatko K A , Burns P C , American Mineralogist , 91 (2006) p.333-336, A novel arrangement of silicate tetrahedra in the uranyl silicate sheet of, oursinite, (Co0.8Mg0.2)[(UO2)(SiO3OH)]2(H2O)6

 

Physical Properties of Oursinite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {???} Good
Help on Color: Color: Pale yellow.
Help on Density: Density: 3.674
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent to Translucent
Help on Habit: Habit: Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Aggregates - Made of numerous individual crystals or clusters.
Help on Habit: Habit: Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 3-3.5 - Calcite-Copper Penny
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)
 

Optical Properties of Oursinite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= -0.177 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.178 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1738,KPDmeas= 0.1737,KC= 0.1475
Ncalc = 1.54
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (-), a=1.624, b=1.64, g=1.65, bire=0.0260, 2V(Calc)=76, 2V(Meas)=76.
 

Calculated Properties of Oursinite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.25 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Oursinite =3.67 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0073713435
Boson Index = 0.9926286565
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEOursinite =1,403.43 barns/electron
U=PEOursinite x relectron=4,560.10 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,116,515.50 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Oursinite per GRapi unit = 242.92 (PPB)

Oursinite 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) 7.39 ± 1.85 grams of pure Oursinite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 738.89 ±184.72 grams of pure Oursinite .

Estimated Radioactivity from Oursinite - 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 / 8.04 cm 97,747,058 2.64E-03 4,116,515.50 1,353.37
100 gm / 3.73 cm 9,774,706 2.64E-04 411,651.55 135.34
10 gm / 1.73 cm 977,471 2.64E-05 41,165.15 13.53
1 gm / 8.04 mm 97,747 2.64E-06 4,116.52 1.35
0.1 gm / 3.73 mm 9,775 2.64E-07 411.65 0.14
0.01 gm / 1.73 mm 977 2.64E-08 41.17 0.01
0.001 gm / 0.80 mm 98 2.64E-09 4.12 0.00

Weight of pure Oursinite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.67 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
 

Oursinite Classification
Help on Dana Class: Dana Class: 53.03.01.07 (53)Nesosilicate Insular SiO4 Groups and Other Anions of Complex Cations
  (53.03)with (UO2)
  (53.03.01)Uranophane group
 
53.03.01.01 Kasolite Pb(UO2)SiO4•(H2O) P 21/a 2/m
 
53.03.01.02 Uranophane Ca(UO2)2SiO3(OH)2•5(H2O) P 21 2
 
53.03.01.03 Sklodowskite (H3O)2Mg(UO2)2(SiO4)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m
 
53.03.01.04 Cuprosklodowskite Cu[(UO2)(SiO2OH)]2•6(H2O) P1 1
 
53.03.01.05 Boltwoodite HK(UO2)(SiO4)•1.5(H2O) P 21 2
 
53.03.01.06 Natroboltwoodite (H3O)(Na,K)(UO2)SiO4•(H2O) P 212121 2 2 2
 
53.03.01.07 Oursinite (Co,Mg)(H3O)2[(UO2)SiO4]2•3(H2O) Aba2,Abam Ortho
 
53.03.01.08 Swamboite UH6(UO2)6(SiO4)6•30(H2O) P 21/a 2/m
 
53.03.01.09 Uranophane-beta Ca[(UO2)SiO3(OH)]2•(H2O) P 21/a 2/m
Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 09.AK.10 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
  09.A - Nesosilicates
  09.AK -Uranyl neso- and polysilicates
 
09.AK.10 Cuprosklodowskite Cu[(UO2)(SiO2OH)]2•6(H2O) P1 1
 
09.AK.10 Oursinite (Co,Mg)(H3O)2[(UO2)SiO4]2•3(H2O) Aba2,Abam Ortho
 
09.AK.10 Sklodowskite (H3O)2Mg(UO2)2(SiO4)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m
 

Other Oursinite Information
Help on References: References: NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Oursinite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - Google Images
6 - Google Scholar
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
9 - MinDAT
10 - MinMax(Deutsch)
11 - MinMax(English)
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - Uranium Minerals

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Oursinite Specimen Label here :

Oursinite

(Co,Mg)(H3O)2[(UO2)SiO4]2•3(H2O)
Dana No: 53.03.01.07 Strunz No: 09.AK.10
Locality:

 

Notes: