Vandenbrandeite Mineral Data

Vandenbrandeite Mineral Data +

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General Vandenbrandeite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu(UO2)(OH)4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 401.60 gm

Uranium 59.27 % U 67.24 % UO₂

Copper 15.82 % Cu 19.81 % CuO

Hydrogen 1.00 % H 8.97 % H₂O

Oxygen 23.90 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 96.02 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu(UO₂)(OH)₄

Environment:

Secondary mineral on pitchblende ores.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1932

Locality:

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

Name Origin:

Named for Pierre van den Brande (1896-1957), Belgian geologist who discovered the ore deposit at Kalongwe, Zaire.

Synonym:

ICSD 1041

PDF 8-325

Vandenbrandeite Image

Images:

Vandenbrandeite

Comments: Cluster of deep greenish black crystals of vandenbrandeite to 2 mm.
Location: Musonoi Mine, Katanga, Dem. Rep. of the Congo. Scale: Picture size 1.5 cm.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Vandenbrandeite

Comments: Dark green vandenbrandeite crystal showing termination details.
Location: Musonoi Mine, Kolwezi, Western area, Shaba Cu belt, Shaba (Katanga), Congo (Za?re). Scale: Picture size 3.5 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Vandenbrandeite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.4448:1:1.1213

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.86, b = 5.44, c = 6.1, Z = 2; alpha = 91.87°, beta = 102°, gamma = 89.92° V = 254.99 Den(Calc)= 5.23

Crystal System:

Triclinic - PinacoidalH-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.44(1), 5.26(0.9), 2.97(0.8),

Forms:

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Forms: [ 1 1 0] [ 1 0 0] [ 0 0 1]

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Physical Properties of Vandenbrandeite

Cleavage:

[110] Perfect

Color:

Dark green, Black green.

Density:

5.08

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to Translucent

Habit:

Scaly - Morphology like fish scales.

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

4 - Fluorite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent and radioactive.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

green

Optical Properties of Vandenbrandeite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.177 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.143 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1502,KPDmeas= 0.1547,KC= 0.1314

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.765, b=1.792, g=1.8, bire=0.0350, 2V(Calc)=56, 2V(Meas)=90. Dispersion strong.

Pleochroism (x):

blue green.

Pleochroism (z):

yellow green.

Calculated Properties of Vandenbrandeite

Electron Density:

r_electron=4.51 gm/cc
note: r_{Vandenbrandeite}=5.23 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00438
Boson Index = 0.99562

Photoelectric:

PE_{Vandenbrandeite}=1,568.53 barns/electron
U=PE_{Vandenbrandeite} x r_electron=7,067.61 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,352,565.84 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Vandenbrandeite 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) 6.99 ± 1.75 grams of pure Vandenbrandeite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 698.82 ±174.71 grams of pure Vandenbrandeite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Vandenbrandeite** - 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 / 7.15 cm	106,092,745	2.87E-03	4,352,565.84	1,430.98
100 gm / 3.32 cm	10,609,275	2.87E-04	435,256.58	143.10
10 gm / 1.54 cm	1,060,927	2.87E-05	43,525.66	14.31
1 gm / 7.15 mm	106,093	2.87E-06	4,352.57	1.43
0.1 gm / 3.32 mm	10,609	2.87E-07	435.26	0.14
0.01 gm / 1.54 mm	1,061	2.87E-08	43.53	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.71 mm	106	2.87E-09	4.35	0.00

Weight of pure Vandenbrandeite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 5.23 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

Vandenbrandeite Classification

Dana Class:

5.3.2.1 (5)Oxides Containing Uranium and Thorium

(5.3)with a cation charge of 8+ (AO4) and hydrated

(5.3.2)Dana Group

5.3.2.1 Vandenbrandeite Cu(UO2)(OH)4 P1 1

Strunz Class:

IV/H.04-10 IV - Oxides

IV/H - Uranyl ([UO2]2+) hydroxides and hydrates

IV/H.04 - Vandenbrandeite

IV/H.04-10 Vandenbrandeite Cu(UO2)(OH)4 P1 1

Other Vandenbrandeite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Vandenbrandeite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 2 -Athena 3 - EUROmin Project 4 -Google Images 5 -Google Scholar 6 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) 7 -MinDAT 8 -MinMax(Deutsch) 9 -MinMax(English) 10 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 11 -QUT Mineral Atlas 12 - Uranium Minerals 13 - WWW-MINCRYST 14 -École des Mines de Paris

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Vandenbrandeite

Cu(UO2)(OH)4
Dana No: 5.3.2.1 Strunz No: IV/H.04-10
Locality:

Notes: