General Uraninite Information
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Chemical Formula: |
UO2 |
Composition: |
Molecular Weight = 270.03 gm |
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Uranium 88.15 % U 100.00 % UO2 |
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Oxygen 11.85 % O |
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______ ______ |
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100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE |
Empirical Formula: |
UO2 |
Environment: |
Granite and syenite pegmatites. Colloform crusts in high temperature hydrothermal veins. In quartz-pebble conglomerates. |
IMA Status: |
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1772 |
Locality: |
Southern parts of the Canadian Precambrian Shield, Bancroft, Ontario. New Hampshire, USA. Transvaal gold-bearing conglomerates. Link to MinDat.org Location Data. |
Name Origin: |
From its elemental composition containing uranium. |
Synonym: |
Broggerite-(Th) |
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Gummite |
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ICSD 29085 |
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PDF 41-1422 |
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Uraninite Image |
Images:
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Uraninite Uranophane
Comments: Sharp, cubic crystals of black uraninite on yellow uranophane.
Location: Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Scale: Picture size 1.5 mm.
© Paul M. Schumacher |
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Images:
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Uraninite
Comments: Polished slab of black "gummite" ore with the uraninite altering to various secondary uranium minerals in a brecciated matrix.
Location: Ruggles mine, Graton, New Hampshire, USA.
Scale: Specimen size 11.4 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher |
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Images:
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Uraninite
Comments: Black uraninite impregnating coaly wood fragments. You can see the woody structure in detail preserved in the uraninite.
Location: Grants mineral district, Westwater Canyon Member of the Morrison Formation..
Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Paul M. Schumacher |
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Uraninite Crystallography
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Cell Dimensions: |
a = 5.4682, Z = 4; V = 163.51 Den(Calc)= 10.97 |
Crystal System: |
Isometric - HexoctahedralH-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F m3m |
X Ray Diffraction: |
By Intensity(I/Io): 3.157(1), 1.934(0.49), 2.735(0.48), |
Forms:
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Forms:
[ 1 1 1]
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Crystal Structure:
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Wyckoff R W G , Crystal Structures , 1 (1963) p.239-444, Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York, Fluorite structure
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Physical Properties of Uraninite
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Cleavage: |
[???] Good |
Color: |
Brownish black, Gray, Grayish black, Black. |
Density: |
6.5 - 10.95, Average = 8.72 |
Diaphaniety: |
Nearly opaque |
Fracture: |
Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments. |
Habit: |
Botryoidal - "Grape-like" rounded forms (e.g.. malachite). |
Habit: |
Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals. |
Habit: |
Dendritic - Branching "tree-like" growths of great complexity (e.g. pyrolusite). |
Hardness: |
5-6 - Between Apatite and Orthoclase |
Luminescence: |
Non-fluorescent. |
Luster: |
Sub Metallic |
Magnetism: |
Nonmagnetic |
Streak: |
brownish black |
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Optical Properties of Uraninite
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Optical Data: |
NCalc= 2.1 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.1) where Ncalc=Dcalc*KC+1
NCalc= 1.87 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.1) where Ncalc=Dmeas*KC+1 |
RL Color: |
Light gray with brownish tint, may show dark brwon internal reflections. |
Reflectivity |
Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Uraninite in Air
| λ |
R |
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∑ R(λ) |
| 400 nm |
17.60 |
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| 420 nm |
17.30 |
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| 440 nm |
17.00 |
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| 460 nm |
16.80 |
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| 480 nm |
16.50 |
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| 500 nm |
16.30 |
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| 520 nm |
16.20 |
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| 540 nm |
16.00 |
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| 560 nm |
15.90 |
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| 580 nm |
15.80 |
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| 600 nm |
15.90 |
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| 620 nm |
15.90 |
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| 640 nm |
16.00 |
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| 660 nm |
16.00 |
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| 680 nm |
16.10 |
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| 700 nm |
16.20 |
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Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Uraninite in Air
Relative Intensity |
0% |
60% |
100% |
120% |
180% |
240% |
300% |
360% |
420% |
480% |
540% |
550% |
| R |
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Calculated Properties of Uraninite
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Electron Density: |
relectron=8.78 gm/cc note: rUraninite =11.0 gm/cc. |
Fermion Index |
Fermion Index = 0.0064 Boson Index = 0.9936 |
Photoelectric: |
PEUraninite =2,500.07 barns/electron U=PEUraninite x relectron=21938.34 barns/cc. |
Radioactivity: |
GRapi = 6,010,359.61 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Uraninite 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)
5.06 ± 1.27 grams of pure Uraninite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size
(10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box)
506.07 ±126.52 grams of pure Uraninite .
Estimated Radioactivity from Uraninite - 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 / 5.58 cm |
157,788,142 |
4.26E-03 |
6,010,359.61 |
1,976.01 |
| 100 gm / 2.59 cm |
15,778,814 |
4.26E-04 |
601,035.96 |
197.60 |
| 10 gm / 1.20 cm |
1,577,881 |
4.26E-05 |
60,103.60 |
19.76 |
| 1 gm / 5.58 mm |
157,788 |
4.26E-06 |
6,010.36 |
1.98 |
| 0.1 gm / 2.59 mm |
15,779 |
4.26E-07 |
601.04 |
0.20 |
| 0.01 gm / 1.20 mm |
1,578 |
4.26E-08 |
60.10 |
0.02 |
| 0.001 gm / 0.56 mm |
158 |
4.26E-09 |
6.01 |
0.00 |
Weight of pure Uraninite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 10.97 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
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Uraninite Classification
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Dana Class: |
5.1.1.1 (5)Oxides Containing Uranium and Thorium |
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(5.1)with a cation charge of 4+ (AO2) |
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(5.1.1)Dana Group |
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5.1.1.1 Uraninite UO2 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m |
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5.1.1.2 Thorianite ThO2 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m |
Strunz Class: |
IV/D.31-60 IV - Oxides |
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IV/D - Oxides with metal : oxygen = 1:2 (MO2 and related compounds) |
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IV/D.31 - Badleyite - Uraninite series |
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IV/D.31-10 Baddeleyite ZrO2 P 21/c 2/m |
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IV/D.31-20 Tazheranite CaTiZr2O8 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m |
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IV/D.31-30 Calzirtite CaZr3TiO9 P bca 2/m 2/m 2/m |
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IV/D.31-35 Hiarneite! (Ca,Mn,Na)2(Zr,Mn)5(Sb,Ti,Fe)2O16 I 41/acd 4/m 2/m 2/m |
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IV/D.31-40 Cerianite-(Ce) (Ce,Th)O2 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m |
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IV/D.31-50 Thorianite ThO2 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m |
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IV/D.31-60 Uraninite UO2 F m3m 4/m 3 2/m |
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Other Uraninite Information
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References: |
NAME( Mason68) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic3) |
See Also: |
Links to other databases for Uraninite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Applied Mineralogy
4 -Athena
5 - Crocoite.com Mineral Locations
6 - EUROmin Project
7 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
8 - Glendale Community College
9 -Google Images
10 -Google Scholar
11 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
12 -MinDAT
13 -MinMax(Deutsch)
14 -MinMax(English)
15 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
16 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
17 - Minerals of Wisconsin
18 - Philatelic Mineralogy
19 -QUT Mineral Atlas
20 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
21 -University of Colorado - Mineral Structure Data
22 - Uranium Minerals
23 - WWW-MINCRYST
24 -École des Mines de Paris
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Uraninite
UO2
Dana No: 5.1.1.1 Strunz No: IV/D.31-60
Locality:
Notes:
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