Cliffordite Mineral Data

General Cliffordite Information

Chemical Formula:

UTe3O9

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 764.82 gm

Uranium 31.12 % U 35.31 % UO₂

Tellurium 50.05 % Te 62.60 % TeO₂

Oxygen 18.83 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 97.91 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

UTe₃O₉

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1969

Locality:

Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Clifford Frondel (1907-2002), one of the founders of Mineralogical Society of America and one of the authors of Dana's Mineralogy, 7th edition.

Synonym:

ICSD 100878

PDF 25-999

Cliffordite Image

Images:

Cliffordite

Comments: Small greenish crystals of cliffordite encrusting matrix.
Location: Candelaria Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Cliffordite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 11.371, Z = 8; V = 1,470.27 Den(Calc)= 6.91

Crystal System:

Isometric - DiploidalH-M Symbol (2/m 3) Space Group: P a3

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.282(1), 2.843(0.31), 4.02(0.28),

Crystal Structure:

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Galy J , Meunier G , Acta Crystallographica, Section B , 27 (1971) p.608-616, A propos de la cliffordite UTe3O8. Le Systeme UO3-TeO2 a 700 C. Structure, cristalline de UTe3O9, Locality: synthetic, Sample: T = 700 C

Physical Properties of Cliffordite

Color:

Yellow, Sulfur yellow.

Density:

6.57

Hardness:

4 - Fluorite

Luster:

Adamantine

Streak:

light yellow

Optical Properties of Cliffordite

Optical Data:

NCalc= 2.11 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.1611) where Ncalc=Dcalc*KC+1
NCalc= 2.06 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.1611) where Ncalc=Dmeas*KC+1

Calculated Properties of Cliffordite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.78 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Cliffordite =6.91 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.04
Boson Index = 0.96

Photoelectric:

PE_Cliffordite=1,027.30 barns/electron
U=PE_Cliffordite x r_electron=5,940.13 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 2,219,836.31 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Cliffordite per GRapi unit = 450.48 (PPB)

Cliffordite 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) 13.70 ± 3.43 grams of pure Cliffordite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 1370.2 ±342.56 grams of pure Cliffordite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Cliffordite** - 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 / 6.51 cm	55,708,504	1.51E-03	2,219,836.31	729.81
100 gm / 3.02 cm	5,570,850	1.51E-04	221,983.63	72.98
10 gm / 1.40 cm	557,085	1.51E-05	22,198.36	7.30
1 gm / 6.51 mm	55,709	1.51E-06	2,219.84	0.73
0.1 gm / 3.02 mm	5,571	1.51E-07	221.98	0.07
0.01 gm / 1.40 mm	557	1.51E-08	22.20	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.65 mm	56	1.51E-09	2.22	0.00

Weight of pure Cliffordite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 6.91 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

Cliffordite Classification

Dana Class:

34.03.01.01 (34)Selenites - Tellurites - Sulfites

(34.03)Dana Type

(34.03.01)Dana Group

34.03.01.01 Cliffordite UTe3O9 P a3 2/m 3

Strunz Class:

04.JK.75 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.J - Arsenites, Antimonites, Bismuthites, Sulfites,

04.JK -Tellurites without additional anions, without H2O

04.JK.75 Cliffordite UTe3O9 P a3 2/m 3

Other Cliffordite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Cliffordite :
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

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Ask about Cliffordite here :
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Cliffordite Specimen Label here :

Cliffordite

UTe3O9
Dana No: 34.03.01.01 Strunz No: 04.JK.75
Locality:

Notes: