Vitusite-(Ce) Mineral Data

Vitusite-(Ce) Mineral Data +

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General Vitusite-(Ce) Information

Chemical Formula:

Na3(Ce,La,Nd)(PO4)2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 399.08 gm

Sodium 17.28 % Na 23.30 % Na₂O

Lanthanum 10.44 % La 12.25 % La₂O₃

Cerium 21.07 % Ce 24.67 % Ce₂O₃

Phosphorus 15.52 % P 35.57 % P₂O₅

Neodymium 3.61 % Nd 4.22 % Nd₂O₃

Oxygen 32.07 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₃Ce_0.6La_0.3Nd_0.1(PO₄)₂

Environment:

Melanocratic nepheline syenite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1979

Locality:

Ilimaussaq intrusion, southern Greenland. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Vitus Bering (1681-1741), explorer of norhtern seas (Bering Sea).

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Vitusite-(Ce) Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.2859:1:0.7527

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.342, b = 18.68, c = 14.062, Z = 8; V = 1,403.23 Den(Calc)= 3.78

Crystal System:

OrthorhombicSpace Group: Pcmb,Pc21b

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.801(1), 2.811(1), 6.58(0.9),

Crystal Structure:

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Mazzi F , Ungaretti L , Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Monatshefte , 1994 (1994) p.49-66, The crystal structure of vitusite from Ilimaussaq (South Greenland):, Na3REE(PO4)2, Locality: Ilimaussaq, South Greenland

Physical Properties of Vitusite-(Ce)

Cleavage:

[100] Good, [010] Good, [001] Good

Color:

White, Light green, Light pink.

Density:

3.6 - 3.7, Average = 3.65

Habit:

Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.

Hardness:

4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Vitusite-(Ce)

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.03 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.006 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1678,KPDmeas= 0.1738,KC= 0.1688

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.602-1.604, b=1.647-1.65, g=1.649-1.654, bire=0.0470-0.0500, 2V(Calc)=22-32, 2V(Meas)=30.

Calculated Properties of Vitusite-(Ce)

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.50 gm/cc
note: r_{Vitusite-(Ce)}=3.78 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00765
Boson Index = 0.99235

Photoelectric:

PE_{Vitusite-(Ce)}= 174.91 barns/electron
U=PE_{Vitusite-(Ce)} x r_electron= 612.66 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 34,715.33 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Vitusite-(Ce) 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) 876.17 ±219.04 grams of pure Vitusite-(Ce) .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Vitusite-(Ce)** - weak
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 / 7.96 cm	786,738	2.13E-05	34,715.33	11.41
100 gm / 3.70 cm	78,674	2.13E-06	3,471.53	1.14
10 gm / 1.72 cm	7,867	2.13E-07	347.15	0.11
1 gm / 7.96 mm	787	2.13E-08	34.72	0.01
0.1 gm / 3.70 mm	79	2.13E-09	3.47	0.00
0.01 gm / 1.72 mm	8	2.13E-10	0.35	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.80 mm	1	2.13E-11	0.03	0.00

Weight of pure Vitusite-(Ce) in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.78 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
Estimated Thorium Activity ( 1.76 % Th) From Sum REE Elements (35.12 % REE)

Vitusite-(Ce) Classification

Dana Class:

38.1.8.1 (38)Anhydrous Phosphates, etc

(38.1)A+ B++ XO4

(38.1.8)Dana Group

38.1.8.1 Vitusite-(Ce) Na3(Ce,La,Nd)(PO4)2 Pcmb,Pc21b Ortho

Strunz Class:

VII/A.16-10 VII - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates

VII/A - Waterfree phosphates [PO4]3- without unfamiliar anions. cations of medium size: Mostly Fe, Mn

VII/A.16 - Vitusite series

VII/A.16-10 Vitusite-(Ce) Na3(Ce,La,Nd)(PO4)2 Pcmb,Pc21b Ortho

Other Vitusite-(Ce) Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Vitusite-(Ce) :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English) 2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais) 3 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database 4 -Athena 5 - EUROmin Project 6 -Google Images 7 -Google Scholar 8 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) 9 -MinDAT 10 -MinMax(Deutsch) 11 -MinMax(English) 12 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) 13 -QUT Mineral Atlas 14 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Vitusite-(Ce)

Na3(Ce,La,Nd)(PO4)2
Dana No: 38.1.8.1 Strunz No: VII/A.16-10
Locality:

Notes: