Schoepite Mineral Data

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General Schoepite Information

Chemical Formula:

(UO2)8O2(OH)12•12(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 2,612.49 gm

Uranium 72.89 % U 82.69 % UO₂

Hydrogen 1.39 % H 12.41 % H₂O

Oxygen 25.72 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.10 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

(UO₂)₈O₂(OH)₁₂•12(H₂O)

Environment:

Found as an alteration product of uraninite, alters spontanously to metaschoepite and paraschoepite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1923

Locality:

Kasolo, Shaba, Zaire. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Alfred Schoep (1881-1966), Belgian mineralogist who studied uranium mineralogy.

Name Pronunciation:

Schoepite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 82477

PDF 13-407

Schoepite Image

Images:

Schoepite Becquerelite

Comments: Bright yellow crystals of schoepite on transparent yellow becquerelite.
Location: Shinkolobwe mine, Tantara, Shaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scale: .
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Schoepite Metatorbernite

Comments: Green, tabular crystals of metatorbernite and acicular, yellow schoepite on matrix.
Location: Musonoi mine, Kolwezi, Shaba, (Katanga), Congo (Zaïre). Scale: Picture size 2.5 mm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Images:

Schoepite Ianthinite

Comments: Purple to brown resinous ianthinite with yellow schoepite and orange becquerelite.
Location: Colorado Plateau area, Saguache County, Colorado, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Schoepite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.8534:1:0.8773

Cell Dimensions:

a = 14.33, b = 16.79, c = 14.73, Z = 4; V = 3,544.05 Den(Calc)= 4.90

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - PyramidalH-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: P 2₁ca

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.28(1), 5.08(0.7), 3.44(0.25),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 2 1 1) ( 0 2 1) ( 0 1 0) ( 0 1 1) ( 1 0 2) ( 1 1 1) ( 0 3 1) ( 2 1 0) ( 1 0 0) ( 0 0 1)

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Crystal Structure:

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Finch R J , Cooper M A , Hawthorne F C , Ewing R C , The Canadian Mineralogist , 34 (1996) p.1071-1088, The crystal structure of schoepite, [(UO2)8O2(OH)12](H2O)12

Physical Properties of Schoepite

Cleavage:

{001} Perfect, {010} Indistinct

Color:

Yellow, Lemon yellow, Brownish yellow, Amber.

Density:

4.8

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=pale green, Long UV=pale green.

Luster:

Adamantine

Streak:

light yellow

Optical Properties of Schoepite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.189 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.165 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1455,KPDmeas= 0.1485,KC= 0.1249
Ncalc = 1.6 - 1.61

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.69, b=1.714, g=1.735, bire=0.0450

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Pleochroism (z):

colorless.

Calculated Properties of Schoepite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.16 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Schoepite =4.90 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0053735882
Boson Index = 0.9946264118

Photoelectric:

PE_Schoepite=1,949.59 barns/electron
U=PE_Schoepite x r_electron=8,103.18 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 5,270,032.39 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Schoepite per GRapi unit = 189.75 (PPB)

Schoepite 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) 5.77 ± 1.44 grams of pure Schoepite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 577.16 ±144.29 grams of pure Schoepite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Schoepite** - 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 / 7.30 cm	130,472,134	3.53E-03	5,270,032.39	1,732.61
100 gm / 3.39 cm	13,047,213	3.53E-04	527,003.24	173.26
10 gm / 1.57 cm	1,304,721	3.53E-05	52,700.32	17.33
1 gm / 7.30 mm	130,472	3.53E-06	5,270.03	1.73
0.1 gm / 3.39 mm	13,047	3.53E-07	527.00	0.17
0.01 gm / 1.57 mm	1,305	3.53E-08	52.70	0.02
0.001 gm / 0.73 mm	130	3.53E-09	5.27	0.00

Weight of pure Schoepite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.90 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

Schoepite Classification

Dana Class:

05.02.01.03 (05)Oxides Containing Uranium and Thorium

(05.02)with a cation charge of 6+ (AO3) and hydrated

(05.02.01)Schoepite Group

05.02.01.01 Metaschoepite UO3•n(H2O)(n<2) Pbna 2/m 2/m 2/m

05.02.01.02 Paraschoepite UO3•2(H2O)(?) P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m

05.02.01.03 Schoepite (UO2)8O2(OH)12•12(H2O) P 2₁ca mm2

Strunz Class:

04.GA.05 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.G - Uranyl Hydroxides

04.GA -Without additional cations

04.GA.05 Metaschoepite UO3•n(H2O)(n<2) Pbna 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.GA.05 Paraschoepite UO3•2(H2O)(?) P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m

04.GA.05 Schoepite (UO2)8O2(OH)12•12(H2O) P 2₁ca mm2

Other Schoepite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990;Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Schoepite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - Uranium Minerals
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Schoepite

(UO2)8O2(OH)12•12(H2O)
Dana No: 05.02.01.03 Strunz No: 04.GA.05
Locality:

Notes: