Upalite Mineral Data

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General Upalite Information

Chemical Formula:

Al(UO2)3(PO4)2O(OH)•7(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,186.12 gm

Uranium 60.20 % U 68.30 % UO₂

Aluminum 2.27 % Al 4.30 % Al₂O₃

Phosphorus 5.22 % P 11.97 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.27 % H 11.39 % H₂O

Oxygen 31.02 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.95 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Al(UO₂)₃(PO₄)₂O(OH)•7(H₂O)

Environment:

Rare secondary mineral in the oxidized uraniferous zone of a complex granite pegmatite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1979

Locality:

Kobokobo pegmatite, Lusungu River district, Kivu Province, Congo (Zaire). Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the Uranium, Phosphorus, and ALuminum in the composition.

Name Pronunciation:

Upalite

Synonym:

ICSD 40130

PDF 35-619

Upalite Image

Images:

Upalite Columbite-(Fe)

Comments: Thin translucent yellowish upalite crusts on a prismatic, black columbite crystal.
Location: Thin translucent yellowish crusts on undifferntiated columbite crystal. Scale: Picture Size 2 mm.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Upalite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.8147:1:0.5548

Cell Dimensions:

a = 13.704, b = 16.82, c = 9.332, Z = 4; beta = 111.5° V = 2,001.36 Den(Calc)= 3.94

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/a

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 8.4(1), 3.43(0.8), 4.18(0.8),

Crystal Structure:

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Piret P , Declercq J-P , Bulletin de Mineralogie , 106 (1983) p.383-389, Structure cristalline de l upalite Al[(UO2)3O(OH)(PO4)2]*7H2O., Un exemple de macle mimetique, Locality: Kobokobo, Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Physical Properties of Upalite

Cleavage:

{???} Perfect

Color:

Brownish yellow.

Density:

3.5

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Streak:

light yellow

Optical Properties of Upalite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.376 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.222 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1684,KPDmeas= 0.1896,KC= 0.1378
Ncalc = 1.48 - 1.54

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.649, b=1.666, g=1.676, bire=0.0270, 2V(Calc)=74, 2V(Meas)=74.

Calculated Properties of Upalite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.44 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Upalite =3.94 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0044854827
Boson Index = 0.9955145173

Photoelectric:

PE_Upalite=1,564.18 barns/electron
U=PE_Upalite x r_electron=5,382.86 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,482,150.14 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Upalite per GRapi unit = 223.11 (PPB)

Upalite 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) 6.79 ± 1.70 grams of pure Upalite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 678.62 ±169.65 grams of pure Upalite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Upalite** - 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 / 7.86 cm	107,764,311	2.91E-03	4,482,150.14	1,473.58
100 gm / 3.65 cm	10,776,431	2.91E-04	448,215.01	147.36
10 gm / 1.69 cm	1,077,643	2.91E-05	44,821.50	14.74
1 gm / 7.86 mm	107,764	2.91E-06	4,482.15	1.47
0.1 gm / 3.65 mm	10,776	2.91E-07	448.22	0.15
0.01 gm / 1.69 mm	1,078	2.91E-08	44.82	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.79 mm	108	2.91E-09	4.48	0.00

Weight of pure Upalite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.94 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

Upalite Classification

Dana Class:

42.07.12.01 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(42.07)where (AB)5 (XO4)3 Zq · x(H2O)

(42.07.12)Dana Group

42.07.12.01 Upalite Al(UO2)3(PO4)2O(OH)•7(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.EC.05 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.E - Uranyl Phosphates and Arsenates

08.EC -UO2:RO4 = 3:2

08.EC.05 Francoisite-(Nd) (Nd,Y,Sm,Ce)(UO2)3(PO4)2O(OH)•6(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

08.EC.05 Phuralumite Al2(UO2)3(PO4)2(OH)6•10(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

08.EC.05 Upalite Al(UO2)3(PO4)2O(OH)•7(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

08.EC.05 Francoisite-(Ce)! (Ce,Nd,Ca)[(UO2)3O(OH)(PO4)2]•6(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

Other Upalite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Upalite :
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
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Upalite

Al(UO2)3(PO4)2O(OH)•7(H2O)
Dana No: 42.07.12.01 Strunz No: 08.EC.05
Locality:

Notes: