Thorite Mineral Data

Thorite Mineral Data
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General Thorite Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: ThSiO4
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 324.12 gm
   Thorium  71.59 %  Th   81.46 % ThO2
   Silicon   8.67 %  Si   18.54 % SiO2
   Oxygen   19.74 %  O
           ______        ______ 
           100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Th(SiO4)
Help on Environment: Environment: Augite-syenite rocks.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1829
Help on Locality: Locality: Island of Lovo, Norway Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: From the presence of the element Thorium, a highly radioactive material.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Thorite Say THORITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: ICSD 1615
  Orangite
  PDF 11-419
 

Thorite Image

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Thorite

Comments: Brown crude crystal of thorite var. uranothorite with still visible termination on both ends. Mildly radioactive.
Location: Kemp Uranium Mine, Cheddar, Cardiff Township, Haliburton Co., Ontario, Canada. Scale: 15x14x13 mm.
© John Betts - Fine Minerals
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Thorite

Comments: Several small, black cubic crystals of thorite.
Location: Balangoda, Ratnapura, Sabaragamuwa province, Sri Lanka. Scale: Picture size 0.8 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Thorite Crystallography
Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:c = 1:0.8845
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 7.117, c = 6.295, Z = 4; V = 318.85 Den(Calc)= 6.75
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Tetragonal - Ditetragonal DipyramidalH-M Symbol (4/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: I 41/amd
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 3.53(1), 4.69(0.9), 2.65(0.8),
Click Here for Large Thorite Structure Window Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
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Fuchs L H , Gebert E , American Mineralogist , 43 (1958) p.243-248, X-ray studies of synthetic coffinite, thorite and uranothorites

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Thorite
[1]
 

Physical Properties of Thorite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {110} Poor
Help on Color: Color: Brownish yellow, Brownish black, Yellow, Dark brown, Orange.
Help on Density: Density: 4 - 6.7, Average = 5.35
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Subtransparent to subtranslucent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).
Help on Habit: Habit: Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.
Help on Habit: Habit: Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.
Help on Habit: Habit: Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 5 - Apatite
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Non-fluorescent.
Help on Luster: Luster: Resinous
Help on Magnetism: Magnetism: Nonmagnetic
Help on Streak: Streak: light brown
 

Optical Properties of Thorite

Help on Dichroism (e): Dichroism (e): none.
Help on Dichroism (w): Dichroism (w): none.
Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.136 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.315 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1196,KPDmeas= 0.1509,KC= 0.1746
Ncalc = 1.7 - 2.18
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Uniaxial (-), e=1.78-1.82, w=1.79-1.84, bire=0.0100-0.0200.
 

Calculated Properties of Thorite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.49 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Thorite =5.35 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0041421041
Boson Index = 0.9958578959
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEThorite =1,794.84 barns/electron
U=PEThorite x relectron=8,058.25 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

GRapi = 1,281,657.69 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Thorite per GRapi unit = 780.24 (PPB)

Thorite 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) 23.73 ± 5.93 grams of pure Thorite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 2373.2 ±593.31 grams of pure Thorite .

Estimated Radioactivity from Thorite - 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 / 7.09 cm 32,072,283 8.67E-04 1,281,657.69 421.37
100 gm / 3.29 cm 3,207,228 8.67E-05 128,165.77 42.14
10 gm / 1.53 cm 320,723 8.67E-06 12,816.58 4.21
1 gm / 7.09 mm 32,072 8.67E-07 1,281.66 0.42
0.1 gm / 3.29 mm 3,207 8.67E-08 128.17 0.04
0.01 gm / 1.53 mm 321 8.67E-09 12.82 0.00
0.001 gm / 0.71 mm 32 8.67E-10 1.28 0.00

Weight of pure Thorite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 5.35 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
 

Thorite Classification
Help on Dana Class: Dana Class: 51.05.02.03 (51)Nesosilicate Insular SiO4 Groups Only
  (51.05)with cations in >[6] coordination
  (51.05.02)Zircon group
 
51.05.02.01 Zircon ZrSiO4 I 41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
51.05.02.02 Hafnon HfSiO4 I 41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
51.05.02.03 Thorite ThSiO4 I 41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
51.05.02.04 Coffinite U(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x I 41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
51.05.02.05 Thorogummite Th(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x I 41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
51.05.02.06 IMA2008-035! CeSiO4 I 41/amd 4mm
Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 09.AD.30 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
  09.A - Nesosilicates
  09.AD -Nesosilicates without additional anions;
 
09.AD.30 Coffinite U(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x I 41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
09.AD.30 Hafnon HfSiO4 I 41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
09.AD.30 Thorite ThSiO4 I 41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
09.AD.30 Thorogummite Th(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x I 41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
09.AD.30 Zircon ZrSiO4 I 41/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
09.AD.30 IMA2008-035! CeSiO4 I 41/amd 4mm
 

Other Thorite Information
Help on References: References: NAME( Mason68) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Mason68)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Thorite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - CalTech Mineral Spectroscopy
7 - EUROmin Project
8 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
9 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
10 - Franklin Minerals(Palache)
11 - GeoScienceWorld
12 - Google Images
13 - Google Scholar
14 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
15 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
16 - MinDAT
17 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
18 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
19 - Online Mineral Museum
20 - QUT Mineral Atlas
21 - Ruff.Info
22 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
23 - University of Colorado - Mineral Structure Data
24 - Uranium Minerals
25 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Thorite

ThSiO4
Dana No: 51.05.02.03 Strunz No: 09.AD.30
Locality:

 

Notes: