Oursinite Mineral Data

Oursinite Mineral Data +

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General Oursinite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Co,Mg)(H3O)2[(UO2)SiO4]2·3(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 871.78 gm

Magnesium 0.28 % Mg 0.46 % MgO

Uranium 54.61 % U 61.95 % UO₂

Cobalt 6.08 % Co 7.74 % CoO

Silicon 6.44 % Si 13.78 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.39 % H 12.40 % H₂O

Oxygen 31.20 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 96.33 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Co_0.9Mg_0.1(H₃O)₂(UO₂)₂(SiO₄)₂·3(H₂O)

Environment:

In the oxidation zones of uranium ores.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1983

Locality:

Shikolobwe, Shava, Zaire. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named from the French "oursin", sea urchin, in allusion to the radiating habit of the acicular crystals.

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Oursinite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.7259:1:0.4017

Cell Dimensions:

a = 12.74, b = 17.55, c = 7.05, Z = 4; V = 1,576.29 Den(Calc)= 3.67

Crystal System:

OrthorhombicSpace Group: Aba2,Abam

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 8.73(1), 2.853(0.9), 7.2(0.7),

Crystal Structure:

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Kabatko K A , Burns P C , American Mineralogist , 91 (2006) p.333-336, A novel arrangement of silicate tetrahedra in the uranyl silicate sheet of, oursinite, (Co0.8Mg0.2)[(UO2)(SiO3OH)]2(H2O)6

Physical Properties of Oursinite

Cleavage:

[???] Good

Color:

Pale yellow.

Density:

3.674

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to Translucent

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Aggregates - Made of numerous individual crystals or clusters.

Habit:

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

Hardness:

3-3.5 - Calcite-Copper Penny

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Optical Properties of Oursinite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.177 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.178 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1738,KPDmeas= 0.1737,KC= 0.1475

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.624, b=1.64, g=1.65, bire=0.0260, 2V(Calc)=76, 2V(Meas)=76.

Calculated Properties of Oursinite

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.25 gm/cc
note: r_Oursinite=3.67 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00737
Boson Index = 0.99263

Photoelectric:

PE_Oursinite=1,403.43 barns/electron
U=PE_Oursinite x r_electron=4,560.10 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,116,513.47 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Oursinite 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) 7.39 ± 1.85 grams of pure Oursinite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 738.89 ±184.72 grams of pure Oursinite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Oursinite** - 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 / 8.04 cm	97,747,049	2.64E-03	4,116,513.47	1,353.37
100 gm / 3.73 cm	9,774,705	2.64E-04	411,651.35	135.34
10 gm / 1.73 cm	977,470	2.64E-05	41,165.13	13.53
1 gm / 8.04 mm	97,747	2.64E-06	4,116.51	1.35
0.1 gm / 3.73 mm	9,775	2.64E-07	411.65	0.14
0.01 gm / 1.73 mm	977	2.64E-08	41.17	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.80 mm	98	2.64E-09	4.12	0.00

Weight of pure Oursinite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.67 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

Oursinite Classification

Dana Class:

53.3.1.7 (53)Nesosilicate Insular SiO4 Groups and Other Anions of Complex Cations

(53.3)with (UO2)

(53.3.1)Uranophane group

53.3.1.1 Kasolite Pb(UO2)SiO4·(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

53.3.1.2 Uranophane Ca(UO2)2SiO3(OH)2·5(H2O) P 2₁ 2

53.3.1.3 Sklodowskite (H3O)2Mg(UO2)2(SiO4)2·4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

53.3.1.4 Cuprosklodowskite Cu[(UO2)(SiO2OH)]2·6(H2O) P1 1

53.3.1.5 Boltwoodite HK(UO2)(SiO4)·1.5(H2O) P 2₁ 2

53.3.1.6 Sodium-boltwoodite (H3O)(Na,K)(UO2)SiO4·(H2O) P 2₁2₁2₁ 2 2 2

53.3.1.7 Oursinite (Co,Mg)(H3O)2[(UO2)SiO4]2·3(H2O) Aba2,Abam Ortho

53.3.1.8 Swamboite UH6(UO2)6(SiO4)6·30(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

53.3.1.9 Uranophane-beta Ca[(UO2)SiO3(OH)]2·(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Strunz Class:

VIII/B.34-30 VIII - Silicates

VIII/B - Nesosub-silicates. "Insel" silicates with anions unfamiliar to tetraheders. Uranyl-"Insel" silicates with [UO2]2+ - [SiO4]4-

VIII/B.34 - Sklodowskite - Uranophane - Kasolite series

VIII/B.34-10 Sklodowskite (H3O)2Mg(UO2)2(SiO4)2·4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

VIII/B.34-20 Cuprosklodowskite Cu[(UO2)(SiO2OH)]2·6(H2O) P1 1

VIII/B.34-30 Oursinite (Co,Mg)(H3O)2[(UO2)SiO4]2·3(H2O) Aba2,Abam Ortho

VIII/B.34-40 Uranophane Ca(UO2)2SiO3(OH)2·5(H2O) P 2₁ 2

VIII/B.34-50 Uranophane-beta Ca[(UO2)SiO3(OH)]2·(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

VIII/B.34-60 Boltwoodite HK(UO2)(SiO4)·1.5(H2O) P 2₁ 2

VIII/B.34-70 Sodium-boltwoodite (H3O)(Na,K)(UO2)SiO4·(H2O) P 2₁2₁2₁ 2 2 2

VIII/B.34-80 Kasolite Pb(UO2)SiO4·(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

Other Oursinite Information

References:

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

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Oursinite

(Co,Mg)(H3O)2[(UO2)SiO4]2·3(H2O)
Dana No: 53.3.1.7 Strunz No: VIII/B.34-30
Locality:

Notes: