Walpurgite Mineral Data

General Walpurgite Information

Chemical Formula:

Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4•2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,483.82 gm

Uranium 16.04 % U 18.20 % UO₂

Bismuth 56.34 % Bi 62.81 % Bi₂O₃

Arsenic 10.10 % As 15.49 % As₂O₅

Hydrogen 0.27 % H 2.43 % H₂O

Oxygen 17.25 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 98.92 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Bi₄(UO₂)(AsO₄)₂O₄•2(H₂O)

Environment:

Oxidized polymetallic ore deposit.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1871

Locality:

Walpurgis vein, Weisse Hirsch mine, Neustadtel, Schneeberg, Saxony, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Walpurgite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 31266

PDF 42-587

Phosphate-walpurgite

Walpurgite Image

Images:

Walpurgite

Comments: Clear, yellow laths of walpurgite crystals.
Location: Schneesberg, Saxony, Germany. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Walpurgite

Comments: Elongated, pale yellow, triclinic crystalline aggregate of walpurgite on calcite.
Location: Walpurgis Flacher vein, WeiÃŸer Hirsch Mine, NeustÃ¤dtel, Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany. Scale: Crystal size 1 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Walpurgite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6829:1:0.5258

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.13, b = 10.44, c = 5.49, Z = 1; alpha = 104.667°, beta = 110.817°, gamma = 88.283° V = 369.37 Den(Calc)= 6.67

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.11(1), 3.05(0.5), 3.25(0.5),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Mereiter K , Tschermaks Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen , 30 (1982) p.129-139, The crystal structure of walpurgite,(UO2)Bi4O4(AsO4)2*2H2O, Locality: Schneeberg, Germany

Physical Properties of Walpurgite

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect

Color:

Colorless, Straw yellow, Wax yellow.

Density:

5.95

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Habit:

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

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luster:

Adamantine - Greasy

Streak:

yellow white

Optical Properties of Walpurgite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.082 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.036 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1423,KPDmeas= 0.1597,KC= 0.1476
Ncalc = 1.88 - 1.99

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.871, b=1.975, g=2.005, bire=0.1340, 2V(Calc)=54, 2V(Meas)=52.

Calculated Properties of Walpurgite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.60 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Walpurgite =6.68 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0012387819
Boson Index = 0.9987612181

Photoelectric:

PE_Walpurgite=1,523.30 barns/electron
U=PE_Walpurgite x r_electron=8,531.05 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 1,146,367.29 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Walpurgite per GRapi unit = 872.32 (PPB)

Walpurgite 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) 26.53 ± 6.63 grams of pure Walpurgite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 2653.3 ±663.33 grams of pure Walpurgite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Walpurgite** - very strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Becquerels (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 6.59 cm	28,714,596	7.76E-04	1,146,367.29	376.89
100 gm / 3.06 cm	2,871,460	7.76E-05	114,636.73	37.69
10 gm / 1.42 cm	287,146	7.76E-06	11,463.67	3.77
1 gm / 6.59 mm	28,715	7.76E-07	1,146.37	0.38
0.1 gm / 3.06 mm	2,871	7.76E-08	114.64	0.04
0.01 gm / 1.42 mm	287	7.76E-09	11.46	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.66 mm	29	7.76E-10	1.15	0.00

Weight of pure Walpurgite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 6.68 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

Walpurgite Classification

Dana Class:

40.05.09.01 (40)Hydrated Phosphates, etc

(40.05)with miscellaneous formulae

(40.05.09)Walpurgite Group

40.05.09.01 Walpurgite Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4•2(H2O) P1 1

40.05.09.02 Orthowalpurgite (UO2)Bi4O4(AsO4)2•2(H2O) Pbcm 2/m 2/m 2/m

40.05.09.03 Phosphowalpurgite! (UO2)Bi4(PO4)O4•2(H2O) P1 1

Strunz Class:

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

08.E - Uranyl Phosphates and Arsenates

08.EA -UO2:RO4 = 1:2

08.EA.05 Orthowalpurgite (UO2)Bi4O4(AsO4)2•2(H2O) Pbcm 2/m 2/m 2/m

08.EA.05 Walpurgite Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4•2(H2O) P1 1

08.EA.05 Phosphowalpurgite! (UO2)Bi4(PO4)O4•2(H2O) P1 1

Other Walpurgite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Walpurgite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - Uranium Minerals
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Walpurgite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Walpurgite :

A Bijoux Google Search for Walpurgite
Adam's Minerals Google Search for Walpurgite
Cape Minerals Google Search for Walpurgite
Dakota Matrix Minerals Google Search for Walpurgite
Excalibur Mineral Corp. Google Search for Walpurgite
Exceptional Minerals Google Search for Walpurgite
John Betts Fine Minerals Search for Walpurgite
McDougall Minerals Google Search for Walpurgite
Mineral News Website Link
Rock and Mineral Shows Google Search for Walpurgite
Weinrich Minerals, Inc. Google Search for Walpurgite

Ask about Walpurgite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

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

Walpurgite

Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4•2(H2O)
Dana No: 40.05.09.01 Strunz No: 08.EA.05
Locality:

Notes: