Phurcalite Mineral Data

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General Phurcalite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2•7(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,238.29 gm

Calcium 6.47 % Ca 9.06 % CaO

Uranium 57.67 % U 65.42 % UO₂

Phosphorus 5.00 % P 11.46 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.14 % H 10.18 % H₂O

Oxygen 29.72 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 96.12 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₂(UO₂)₃O₂(PO₄)₂•7(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral in cracks and fractures in granite and granite pegmatites.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1978

Locality:

Bergen, Saxony, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for PHosphorus, URanium, and CALcium in the composition.

Name Pronunciation:

Phurcalite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 1687

PDF 30-285

Phurcalite Image

Images:

Phurcalite

Comments: Yellow phurcalite crystals on white aragonite.
Location: Posey Mine, White Canyon District, San Juan County, Utah, USA. Scale: Picture site 0.5 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Images:

Phurcalite

Comments: Coatings of minute acicular phurcalite crystals on sandstone.
Location: Posey Mine, Red Canyon, White Canyon District, San Juan County, Utah, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Phurcalite

Comments: Bright canary yellow acicular phurcalite crystals to about 0.25mm. Seems to have overgrown perhaps torbernite and individual groups are to 1mm.
Location: El Azul mine, Los Azules district, Copiapo Province, Atacama, Chile. Scale: Picture Size 5 mm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Phurcalite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.086:1:0.848

Cell Dimensions:

a = 17.415, b = 16.035, c = 13.598, Z = 8; V = 3,797.24 Den(Calc)= 4.33

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P bca

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 8.05(1), 3.09(0.8), 3.1(0.8),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
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S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
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Help on Above

Atencio D , Neumann R , Silva A J G C , Mascarenhas Y P , The Canadian Mineralogist , 29 (1991) p.95-105, Phurcalite from Perus, San Paulo, Brazil, and redetermination of its, crystal structure, Locality: Perus, San Paulo, Brazil

Physical Properties of Phurcalite

Cleavage:

{001} Perfect, {010} Perfect, {100} Good

Color:

Yellow.

Density:

4.22

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Luster:

Vitreous - Adamantine

Streak:

yellow white

Optical Properties of Phurcalite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.223 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.192 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.167,KPDmeas= 0.1713,KC= 0.14
Ncalc = 1.59 - 1.61

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.69, b=1.73, g=1.749, bire=0.0590, 2V(Calc)=66, 2V(Meas)=68.

Calculated Properties of Phurcalite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.80 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Phurcalite =4.33 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0043837837
Boson Index = 0.9956162163

Photoelectric:

PE_Phurcalite=1,490.25 barns/electron
U=PE_Phurcalite x r_electron=5,669.61 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,318,874.05 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Phurcalite per GRapi unit = 231.54 (PPB)

Phurcalite 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) 7.04 ± 1.76 grams of pure Phurcalite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 704.27 ±176.07 grams of pure Phurcalite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Phurcalite** - 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 / 7.61 cm	103,224,421	2.79E-03	4,318,874.05	1,419.90
100 gm / 3.53 cm	10,322,442	2.79E-04	431,887.41	141.99
10 gm / 1.64 cm	1,032,244	2.79E-05	43,188.74	14.20
1 gm / 7.61 mm	103,224	2.79E-06	4,318.87	1.42
0.1 gm / 3.53 mm	10,322	2.79E-07	431.89	0.14
0.01 gm / 1.64 mm	1,032	2.79E-08	43.19	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.76 mm	103	2.79E-09	4.32	0.00

Weight of pure Phurcalite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.33 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

Phurcalite Classification

Dana Class:

42.04.07.01 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(42.04)where (AB)5 (XO4)2 Zq · x(H2O)

(42.04.07)Dana Group

42.04.07.01 Phurcalite Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2•7(H2O) P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.EC.35 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.E - Uranyl Phosphates and Arsenates

08.EC -UO2:RO4 = 3:2

08.EC.35 Phurcalite Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2•7(H2O) P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Phurcalite 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 Phurcalite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - Uranium Minerals
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Phurcalite Specimen Label here :

Phurcalite

Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2•7(H2O)
Dana No: 42.04.07.01 Strunz No: 08.EC.35
Locality:

Notes: