Metazellerite Mineral Data

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General Metazellerite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca(UO2)(CO3)2•3(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 484.17 gm

Calcium 8.28 % Ca 11.58 % CaO

Uranium 49.16 % U 55.77 % UO₂

Hydrogen 1.25 % H 11.16 % H₂O

Carbon 4.96 % C 18.18 % CO₂

Oxygen 36.35 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 96.70 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca(UO₂)(CO₃)₂•3(H₂O)

Environment:

Sediment-hosted uranium mine.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1966

Locality:

Lucky Mc mine, Gas Hills, Wyoming, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the relationship to zellerite (after Howard D. Zeller (1922-), U.S Geological Survey.

Name Pronunciation:

Metazellerite + Pronunciation

Metazellerite Image

Images:

Click Here for Larger Metazellerite Image

Metazellerite Voglite

Comments: Pale yellow crystalline metazellerite in matrix, with green voglite.
Location: White Canyon #1 Mine, Frey Point, San Juan County, Utah, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Metazellerite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5331:1:0.2724

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.718, b = 18.226, c = 4.965, Z = 4; V = 879.40 Den(Calc)= 3.66

Crystal System:

OrthorhombicSpace Group: Pbn21,Pbnm

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 9.1(1), 3.794(0.5), 4.695(0.36),

Physical Properties of Metazellerite

Cleavage:

{???} Good

Color:

Light yellow.

Density:

3.414

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Luster:

Earthy (Dull)

Streak:

yellow white

Optical Properties of Metazellerite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.172 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.094 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.171,KPDmeas= 0.1834,KC= 0.1564
Ncalc = 1.53 - 1.57

Optical Data:

Biaxial (?), b=1.626

Calculated Properties of Metazellerite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.30 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Metazellerite =3.66 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0043735457
Boson Index = 0.9956264543

Photoelectric:

PE_{Metazellerite}=1,239.83 barns/electron
U=PE_{Metazellerite} x r_electron=4,086.31 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 3,773,586.16 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Metazellerite per GRapi unit = 265.00 (PPB)

Metazellerite 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) 8.06 ± 2.02 grams of pure Metazellerite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 806.04 ±201.51 grams of pure Metazellerite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Metazellerite** - 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 / 8.05 cm	88,000,451	2.38E-03	3,773,586.16	1,240.63
100 gm / 3.74 cm	8,800,045	2.38E-04	377,358.62	124.06
10 gm / 1.73 cm	880,005	2.38E-05	37,735.86	12.41
1 gm / 8.05 mm	88,000	2.38E-06	3,773.59	1.24
0.1 gm / 3.74 mm	8,800	2.38E-07	377.36	0.12
0.01 gm / 1.73 mm	880	2.38E-08	37.74	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.81 mm	88	2.38E-09	3.77	0.00

Weight of pure Metazellerite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.66 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

Metazellerite Classification

Dana Class:

15.03.01.02 (15)Hydrated Carbonates

(15.03)where A+m B++n (XO3)p · x(H2O), (m+n):p = 1:1 and containing U, Th, Zr, Y

(15.03.01)Dana Group

15.03.01.01 Zellerite Ca(UO2)(CO3)2•5(H2O) Pbnm,Pbn21 Ortho

15.03.01.02 Metazellerite Ca(UO2)(CO3)2•3(H2O) Pbn21,Pbnm Ortho

Strunz Class:

05.EC.10 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.E - Uranyl Carbonates

05.EC -UO2:CO3 < 1:1 - 1:2

05.EC.10 Metazellerite Ca(UO2)(CO3)2•3(H2O) Pbn21,Pbnm Ortho

05.EC.10 Zellerite Ca(UO2)(CO3)2•5(H2O) Pbnm,Pbn21 Ortho

Other Metazellerite Information

References:

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

See Also:

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

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Metazellerite

Ca(UO2)(CO3)2•3(H2O)
Dana No: 15.03.01.02 Strunz No: 05.EC.10
Locality:

Notes: