Piretite Mineral Data

General Piretite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca(UO2)3(SeO3)2(OH)4-4(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,244.17 gm

Calcium 3.22 % Ca 4.51 % CaO

Uranium 57.39 % U 65.11 % UO₂

Hydrogen 0.97 % H 8.69 % H₂O

Selenium 12.69 % Se 17.84 % SeO₂

Oxygen 25.72 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 96.14 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca(UO₂)₃(SeO₃)₂(OH)₄•4(H₂O)

Environment:

In the alteration zone.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1996 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Shinkolobwe uranium deposit, Shaba, Zaire. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

For Dr. Paul Piret (1932- ), Professor of Crystallography, University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.

Name Pronunciation:

Piretite

Synonym:

IMA1996-002

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Piretite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.4091:1:1.0274

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.01, b = 17.135, c = 17.606, Z = 4; V = 2,114.77 Den(Calc)= 3.91

Crystal System:

OrthorhombicSpace Group: P mn2₁,Pmnm

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.032(1), 3.51(1), 8.79(0.8),

Physical Properties of Piretite

Cleavage:

{001} Good

Color:

Lemon yellow.

Density:

4 - 4.01, Average = 4

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Fragile - Crystals with a delicate and easily injured structure.

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

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

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luster:

Pearly

Streak:

pale yellow

Optical Properties of Piretite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.21 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.24 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1722,KPDmeas= 0.1681,KC= 0.1389
Ncalc = 1.54 - 1.56

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.54, b=1.73, g=1.75, bire=0.2100, 2V(Calc)=32, 2V(Meas)=33. Dispersion weak, r > v.

Calculated Properties of Piretite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.45 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Piretite =4.01 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Piretite=1,522.12 barns/electron
U=PE_Piretite x r_electron=5,252.51 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,215,231.46 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Piretite per GRapi unit = 237.23 (PPB)

Piretite 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) 7.22 ± 1.80 grams of pure Piretite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 721.59 ±180.40 grams of pure Piretite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Piretite** - very strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Becquerels (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 7.81 cm	102,736,545	2.78E-03	4,215,231.46	1,385.83
100 gm / 3.63 cm	10,273,655	2.78E-04	421,523.15	138.58
10 gm / 1.68 cm	1,027,365	2.78E-05	42,152.31	13.86
1 gm / 7.81 mm	102,737	2.78E-06	4,215.23	1.39
0.1 gm / 3.63 mm	10,274	2.78E-07	421.52	0.14
0.01 gm / 1.68 mm	1,027	2.78E-08	42.15	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.78 mm	103	2.78E-09	4.22	0.00

Weight of pure Piretite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.01 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

Piretite Classification

Dana Class:

34.07.03.02 (34)Selenites - Tellurites - Sulfites

(34.07)Dana Type

(34.07.03)Dana Group

34.07.03.01 Guilleminite Ba(UO2)3(SeO3)2O2•3(H2O) P 2₁nm mm2

34.07.03.02 Piretite! Ca(UO2)3(SeO3)2(OH)4-4(H2O) P mn2₁,Pmnm Ortho

Strunz Class:

04.JJ.15 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.J - Arsenites, Antimonites, Bismuthites, Sulfites,

04.JJ -Selenites with additional anions, with H2O

04.JJ.15 Piretite! Ca(UO2)3(SeO3)2(OH)4-4(H2O) P mn2₁,Pmnm Ortho

Other Piretite Information

References:

NAME( MinRec) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.82,p1040,1997) OPTIC PROP.(MinRec)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Piretite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
8 - MinDAT
9 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
10 - Online Mineral Museum
11 - QUT Mineral Atlas
12 - Ruff.Info
13 - Uranium Minerals

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

Piretite

Ca(UO2)3(SeO3)2(OH)4-4(H2O)
Dana No: 34.07.03.02 Strunz No: 04.JJ.15
Locality:

Notes: