Richetite Mineral Data

Richetite Mineral Data +

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General Richetite Information

Chemical Formula:

PbU++++++4O13·4(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,439.37 gm

Uranium 66.15 % U 79.49 % UO₃

Hydrogen 0.56 % H 5.01 % H₂O

Lead 14.40 % Pb 15.51 % PbO

Oxygen 18.90 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

PbU₄O₁₃·4(H₂O)

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1947

Locality:

Shinkolobwe mine, Shaba, Zaire. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Emile Richet (1884-1938), chief geologist, Union Miniere du Haut Katanga.

Synonym:

ICSD 85570

PDF 30-370

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Richetite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.6666:1:1.3515

Cell Dimensions:

a = 20.1, b = 12.06, c = 16.3, Z = 4; alpha = 1103.8°, beta = 115.1°, gamma = 90.4° V = 1,443.89 Den(Calc)= 6.62

Crystal System:

TriclinicSpace Group: P1 or P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.122(1), 7.12(0.8), 3.55(0.6),

Crystal Structure:

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Burns P C , The Canadian Mineralogist , 36 (1998) p.187-199, The structure of richetite, a rare lead uranyl oxide hydrate

Physical Properties of Richetite

Cleavage:

[001] Perfect, [010] Fair

Color:

Black.

Habit:

Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luster:

Adamantine

Optical Properties of Richetite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI calc= -0.111 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.146,KC= 0.1314

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.9, b=2, g=2, bire=0.1000, 2V(Calc)=0, 2V(Meas)=large.

Pleochroism (x):

pale brown.

Pleochroism (y):

dull brown.

Pleochroism (z):

dull brown.

Calculated Properties of Richetite

Electron Density:

r_electron=5.46 gm/cc
note: r_Richetite=6.62 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.03666
Boson Index = 0.96334

Photoelectric:

PE_Richetite=2,086.02 barns/electron
U=PE_Richetite x r_electron=11397.76 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,653,668.72 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Richetite 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) 6.54 ± 1.63 grams of pure Richetite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 653.61 ±163.40 grams of pure Richetite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Richetite** - 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 / 6.61 cm	118,405,135	3.20E-03	4,653,668.72	1,529.97
100 gm / 3.07 cm	11,840,514	3.20E-04	465,366.87	153.00
10 gm / 1.42 cm	1,184,051	3.20E-05	46,536.69	15.30
1 gm / 6.61 mm	118,405	3.20E-06	4,653.67	1.53
0.1 gm / 3.07 mm	11,841	3.20E-07	465.37	0.15
0.01 gm / 1.42 mm	1,184	3.20E-08	46.54	0.02
0.001 gm / 0.66 mm	118	3.20E-09	4.65	0.00

Weight of pure Richetite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 6.62 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

Richetite Classification

Dana Class:

5.9.5.1 (5)Oxides Containing Uranium and Thorium

(5.9)with a cation charge of 6+ containing Pb or Bi and some water of hydration or hydroxyl

(5.9.5)Dana Group

5.9.5.1 Richetite PbU4O13·4(H2O) P1 or P1 Tri

Strunz Class:

IV/H.07-60 IV - Oxides

IV/H - Uranyl ([UO2]2+) hydroxides and hydrates

IV/H.07 - Fourmarierite - Masuyite series

IV/H.07-10 Fourmarierite Pb(UO2)4O3(OH)4·4(H2O) Bb21m mm2

IV/H.07-20 Vandendriesscheite Pb(UO2)10O6(OH)11·11(H2O) P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m

IV/H.07-30 Metavandendriesscheite PbU7O22·n(H2O)(n<12) Pmma,Pm2a Ortho

IV/H.07-40 Sayrite Pb2(UO2)5O6(OH)2·4(H2O) P 2₁/c 2/m

IV/H.07-45 Spriggite! Pb3[(UO2)6O8(OH)2](H2O)x;x~3 C 2/c 2/m

IV/H.07-50 Curite Pb3x(H2O)2[(UO2)4x(OH)3-x]2,x~0.5 Pnam 2/m 2/m 2/m

IV/H.07-60 Richetite PbU4O13·4(H2O) P1 or P1 Tri

IV/H.07-70 Masuyite Pb[(UO2)3O3(OH)2]·3(H2O) Pn m

Other Richetite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

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

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Richetite

PbU++++++4O13·4(H2O)
Dana No: 5.9.5.1 Strunz No: IV/H.07-60
Locality:

Notes: