Uranophane-beta Mineral Data

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General Uranophane-beta Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca[(UO2)SiO3(OH)]2•(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 784.33 gm

Calcium 5.11 % Ca 7.15 % CaO

Uranium 60.70 % U 68.86 % UO₂

Silicon 7.16 % Si 15.32 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.51 % H 4.59 % H₂O

Oxygen 26.52 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.92 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca2(UO₂)2(SiO₃)2(OH)•(H₂O)

Environment:

An oxidation product of uraninite found in oxidized ores and pegmatites.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1935

Locality:

Joachinsthal (Jachymov) Czech Republic. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named as the polymorph of uranophane.

Name Pronunciation:

Uranophane-beta + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Beta-uranophane

Beta-uranotile

Uranotile-beta

Uranophane-beta Image

Images:

Uranophane-beta

Comments: Bright yellow uranophane-beta crystalline aggregates.
Location: Rossing mine, Rossing, Namibia. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Uranophane-beta Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9043:1:0.4294

Cell Dimensions:

a = 13.966, b = 15.443, c = 6.632, Z = 4; beta = 91.38° V = 1,429.95 Den(Calc)= 3.64

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): 7.83(1), 3.9(0.9), 3.51(0.6),

Crystal Structure:

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Viswanathan K , Harneit O , American Mineralogist , 71 (1986) p.1489-1493, Refined crystal structure of beta-uranophane, Ca(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2.5H2O

Physical Properties of Uranophane-beta

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect, {100} Poor

Color:

Green, Yellow.

Density:

3.9

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Lath - Shaped like a small, thin plaster lath, tabular (rectangular) in shape.

Habit:

Massive - Fibrous - Distinctly fibrous fine-grained forms.

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luminescence:

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

Luster:

Vitreous - Silky

Streak:

pale yellow

Optical Properties of Uranophane-beta

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.334 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.429 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1877,KPDmeas= 0.1752,KC= 0.1314
Ncalc = 1.48 - 1.51

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.661-1.671, b=1.682-1.694, g=1.689-1.702, bire=0.0280-0.0310, 2V(Calc)=58-60, 2V(Meas)=0-71. Dispersion r > v strong.

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

deep yellow.

Pleochroism (z):

deep yellow.

Calculated Properties of Uranophane-beta

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.38 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Uranophane-beta =3.90 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0079116471
Boson Index = 0.9920883529

Photoelectric:

PE_{Uranophane-beta}=1,589.36 barns/electron
U=PE_{Uranophane-beta} x r_electron=5,373.98 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,485,427.49 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Uranophane-beta per GRapi unit = 222.94 (PPB)

Uranophane-beta 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) 6.78 ± 1.70 grams of pure Uranophane-beta .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 678.12 ±169.53 grams of pure Uranophane-beta .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Uranophane-beta** - 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 / 7.88 cm	108,645,932	2.94E-03	4,485,427.49	1,474.66
100 gm / 3.66 cm	10,864,593	2.94E-04	448,542.75	147.47
10 gm / 1.70 cm	1,086,459	2.94E-05	44,854.27	14.75
1 gm / 7.88 mm	108,646	2.94E-06	4,485.43	1.47
0.1 gm / 3.66 mm	10,865	2.94E-07	448.54	0.15
0.01 gm / 1.70 mm	1,086	2.94E-08	44.85	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.79 mm	109	2.94E-09	4.49	0.00

Weight of pure Uranophane-beta in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.90 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

Uranophane-beta Classification

Dana Class:

53.03.01.09 (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

Strunz Class:

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

08.C - Phosphates without Additional Anions, with H2O

08.CG -With large and medium-sized cations, RO4:H2O = 1:1

08.CG.05 Collinsite Ca2(Mg,Fe)(PO4)2•2(H2O) P1 1

08.CG.05 Gaitite Ca2Zn(AsO4)2•2(H2O) P1 1

08.CG.05 Cassidyite Ca2(Ni,Mg)(PO4)2•2(H2O) P1 1

08.CG.05 Fairfieldite Ca2(Mn,Fe)(PO4)2•2(H2O) P1 1

08.CG.05 Messelite Ca2(Fe,Mn)(PO4)2•2(H2O) P1 1

08.CG.05 Parabrandtite Ca2Mn(AsO4)•2(H2O) P1,P 1 Tri

08.CG.05 Uranophane-beta Ca[(UO2)SiO3(OH)]2•(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

08.CG.05 Talmessite Ca2Mg(AsO4)2•2(H2O) P1 1

08.CG.05 Hillite! Ca2(Zn,Mg)[PO4]2•2(H2O) P1 1

Other Uranophane-beta Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Uranophane-beta :
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 - MinDAT
9 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
10 - Online Mineral Museum
11 - QUT Mineral Atlas
12 - Ruff.Info
13 - Uranium Minerals

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Uranophane-beta

Ca[(UO2)SiO3(OH)]2•(H2O)
Dana No: 53.03.01.09 Strunz No: 08.CG.05
Locality:

Notes: