Moluranite Mineral Data

[New Updates] [Gallery 1] [Gallery 2] [Gallery 3] [Rock Shop Gallery]
Serving the mineral collector and educator community since 1970
Over 900,000 mineral specimens in stock
New minerals acquired weekly - Wright's Rock Shop

General Moluranite Information

Chemical Formula:

H4U++++(UO2)3(MoO4)7•18(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 2,495.98 gm

Uranium 38.15 % U 43.27 % UO₂

Molybdenum 26.91 % Mo 40.37 % MoO₃

Hydrogen 1.62 % H 14.44 % H₂O

Oxygen 33.33 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 98.08 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

H₄U(UO₂)₃(MoO₄)₇•18(H₂O)

Environment:

In fine fissures in granulated albite, in part replacing brannerite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1959

Locality:

Aleksandrovskii Golets Mo–U deposit, upper Chetkanda River, Udokan Range, Chara region, northern Transbaikal, Russia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the MOLybdenum and URANium in the composition.

Name Pronunciation:

Moluranite + Pronunciation

Moluranite Image

Images:

Moluranite

Comments: Dark gray-black moluranite coatings on sandstone.
Location: La Sal, San Juan County, Utah, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Moluranite Crystallography

Crystal System:

Amorphous- No Crystals

Physical Properties of Moluranite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Black, Brown.

Density:

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Fracture:

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

Hardness:

3-4 - Calcite-Fluorite

Luster:

Resinous

Streak:

brown

Optical Properties of Moluranite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.296 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
KPDmeas= 0.2438,KC= 0.188
Ncalc = 1.75

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=1.97-1.98.

Calculated Properties of Moluranite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.58 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Moluranite =4.00 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.07
Boson Index = 0.93

Photoelectric:

PE_Moluranite=1,012.05 barns/electron
U=PE_Moluranite x r_electron=3,626.53 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 2,912,811.10 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Moluranite per GRapi unit = 343.31 (PPB)

Moluranite 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) 10.44 ± 2.61 grams of pure Moluranite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 1044.2 ±261.06 grams of pure Moluranite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Moluranite** - 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 / 7.82 cm	68,281,219	1.85E-03	2,912,811.10	957.64
100 gm / 3.63 cm	6,828,122	1.85E-04	291,281.11	95.76
10 gm / 1.68 cm	682,812	1.85E-05	29,128.11	9.58
1 gm / 7.82 mm	68,281	1.85E-06	2,912.81	0.96
0.1 gm / 3.63 mm	6,828	1.85E-07	291.28	0.10
0.01 gm / 1.68 mm	683	1.85E-08	29.13	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.78 mm	68	1.85E-09	2.91	0.00

Weight of pure Moluranite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.00 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

Moluranite Classification

Dana Class:

49.01.02.01 (49)Basic and Hydrated Molybdates and Tungstates

(49.01)(Acid Hydrated)

(49.01.02)Dana Group

49.01.02.01 Moluranite H4U(UO2)3(MoO4)7•18(H2O) None

Strunz Class:

07.HA.15 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.H - Uranium and Uranyl Molybdates and Wolframates

07.HA -With U4+

07.HA.15 Moluranite H4U(UO2)3(MoO4)7•18(H2O) None

Other Moluranite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Moluranite :
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
15 - Uranium Minerals

Search for Moluranite using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Scirus] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Moluranite :

AA Mineral Specimens

B & L Fine Minerals

Crystalarium.com

Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Auctions

Dakota Matrix

Desert Winds Gems and Minerals

John Betts Fine Minerals

Mason's Minerals

Mineral News

Mineral of the Month Club

Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Moluranite Mineral Data :

Ask about Moluranite 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 Moluranite Specimen Label here :

Moluranite

H4U++++(UO2)3(MoO4)7•18(H2O)
Dana No: 49.01.02.01 Strunz No: 07.HA.15
Locality:

Notes: