Uranophane-beta Mineral Data

Uranophane-beta Mineral Data +

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General Uranophane-beta Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca[(UO2)SiO3(OH)]2·(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 784.33 gm

Calcium 5.11 % Ca 7.15 % CaO

Uranium 60.70 % U 68.86 % UO₂

Silicon 7.16 % Si 15.32 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.51 % H 4.59 % H₂O

Oxygen 26.52 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.92 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca2(UO₂)2(SiO₃)2(OH)·(H₂O)

Environment:

An oxidation product of uraninite found in oxidized ores and pegmatites.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1935

Locality:

Joachinsthal (Jachymov) Czech Republic. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named as the polymorph of uranophane.

Synonym:

Beta-uranophane

Beta-uranotile

Uranotile-beta

Uranophane-beta Image

Images:

Uranophane-beta

Comments: Bright yellow uranophane-beta crystalline aggregates.
Location: Rossing mine, Rossing, Namibia. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Uranophane-beta Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9043:1:0.4294

Cell Dimensions:

a = 13.966, b = 15.443, c = 6.632, Z = 4; beta = 91.38° V = 1,429.95 Den(Calc)= 3.64

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/a

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.83(1), 3.9(0.9), 3.51(0.6),

Crystal Structure:

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Viswanathan K , Harneit O , American Mineralogist , 71 (1986) p.1489-1493, Refined crystal structure of beta-uranophane, Ca(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2.5H2O

Physical Properties of Uranophane-beta

Cleavage:

[010] Perfect, [100] Poor

Color:

Green, Yellow.

Density:

3.9

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to Translucent

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Lath - Shaped like a small, thin plaster lath, tabular (rectangular) in shape.

Habit:

Massive - Fibrous - Distinctly fibrous fine-grained forms.

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luster:

Vitreous - Silky

Streak:

pale yellow

Optical Properties of Uranophane-beta

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.334 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.429 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1877,KPDmeas= 0.1752,KC= 0.1314

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.661-1.671, b=1.682-1.694, g=1.689-1.702, bire=0.0280-0.0310, 2V(Calc)=58-60, 2V(Meas)=0-71. Dispersion r > v strong.

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

deep yellow.

Pleochroism (z):

deep yellow.

Calculated Properties of Uranophane-beta

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.38 gm/cc
note: r_{Uranophane-beta}=3.90 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00791
Boson Index = 0.99209

Photoelectric:

PE_{Uranophane-beta}=1,589.36 barns/electron
U=PE_{Uranophane-beta} x r_electron=5,373.98 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,485,425.45 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Uranophane-beta 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) 6.78 ± 1.70 grams of pure Uranophane-beta .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 678.12 ±169.53 grams of pure Uranophane-beta .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Uranophane-beta** - 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 / 7.88 cm	108,645,930	2.94E-03	4,485,425.45	1,474.66
100 gm / 3.66 cm	10,864,593	2.94E-04	448,542.54	147.47
10 gm / 1.70 cm	1,086,459	2.94E-05	44,854.25	14.75
1 gm / 7.88 mm	108,646	2.94E-06	4,485.43	1.47
0.1 gm / 3.66 mm	10,865	2.94E-07	448.54	0.15
0.01 gm / 1.70 mm	1,086	2.94E-08	44.85	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.79 mm	109	2.94E-09	4.49	0.00

Weight of pure Uranophane-beta in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.90 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

Uranophane-beta Classification

Dana Class:

53.3.1.9 (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.34-50 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 Uranophane-beta Information

References:

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

See Also:

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

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Uranophane-beta

Ca[(UO2)SiO3(OH)]2·(H2O)
Dana No: 53.3.1.9 Strunz No: VIII/B.34-50
Locality:

Notes: