Walpurgite Mineral Data

Walpurgite Mineral Data +

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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.

Synonym:

ICSD 31266

PDF 42-587

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, Wei?er Hirsch Mine, Neust?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:

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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

Diaphaniety:

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= 0.035 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1425,KPDmeas= 0.1597,KC= 0.1476

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:

r_electron=5.59 gm/cc
note: r_Walpurgite=6.67 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00123
Boson Index = 0.99877

Photoelectric:

PE_Walpurgite=1,523.30 barns/electron
U=PE_Walpurgite x r_electron=8,518.28 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 1,146,366.57 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

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 Bequerols (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	28,714,589	7.76E-04	1,146,366.57	376.89
100 gm / 3.06 cm	2,871,459	7.76E-05	114,636.66	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 6.67 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:

40.5.9.1 (40)Hydrated Phosphates, etc

(40.5)with miscellaneous formulae

(40.5.9)Dana Group

40.5.9.1 Walpurgite Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4·2(H2O) P1 1

40.5.9.2 Orthowalpurgite (UO2)Bi4O4(AsO4)2·2(H2O) Pbcm 2/m 2/m 2/m

40.5.9.3 Phosphowalpurgite! (UO2)Bi4(PO4)O4·2(H2O) P1 1

Strunz Class:

VII/E.10-20 VII - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates

VII/E - Uranylphosphates and uranylvanadates with [UO2]2+ - [PO4 | AsO4]3- and [UO2]2+ - [V2O8]6-

VII/E.10 - Asselbornite - Walpurgite series

VII/E.10-10 Asselbornite (Pb,Ba)(UO2)6(BiO)4(AsO4)2(OH)12·3(H2O) I m3m 4/m 3 2/m

VII/E.10-12 Phosphowalpurgite! (UO2)Bi4(PO4)O4·2(H2O) P1 1

VII/E.10-15 Orthowalpurgite (UO2)Bi4O4(AsO4)2·2(H2O) Pbcm 2/m 2/m 2/m

VII/E.10-20 Walpurgite Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4·2(H2O) P1 1

VII/E.10-50 Arapovite! (U,Th)(Ca,Na)2(K1-x[]x)Si8O20,x~0.5 P 4/mcc 4/m 2/m 2/m

Other Walpurgite Information

References:

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

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Walpurgite

Bi4(UO2)(AsO4)2O4·2(H2O)
Dana No: 40.5.9.1 Strunz No: VII/E.10-20
Locality:

Notes: