Uranophane Mineral Data

General Uranophane Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca(UO2)2SiO3(OH)2•5(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 586.36 gm

Calcium 6.84 % Ca 9.56 % CaO

Uranium 40.59 % U 46.05 % UO₂

Silicon 9.58 % Si 20.49 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 2.06 % H 18.43 % H₂O

Oxygen 40.93 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 94.54 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

CaH₂(SiO₄)₂(UO₂)•5(H₂O)

Environment:

Alteration product of gummite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1853

Locality:

Oberpfalz, Bavaria. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From uran and phanos - "to appear."

Name Pronunciation:

Uranophane + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 63029

PDF 39-1360

Uranotile

Uranophane Image

Images:

Uranophane

Comments: Bright yellow crystals of uranophane with black uraninite.
Location: Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Scale: Picture size 3.5 mm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Images:

Uranophane Uraninite

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

Images:

Uranophane

Comments: Yellow uranophane acicular crystal tufts.
Location: Faraday Mine, Bancroft, Ontario, Canada. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Uranophane Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =2.251:1:0.9446

Cell Dimensions:

a = 15.87, b = 7.05, c = 6.66, Z = 3; beta = 97.25° V = 739.19 Den(Calc)= 3.95

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - SphenoidalH-M Symbol (2) Space Group: P 2₁

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.88(1), 3.94(0.9), 2.99(0.8),

Crystal Structure:

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Smith D K , Gruner J W , Lipscomb W N , American Mineralogist , 42 (1957) p.594-618, The crystal structure of uranophane [Ca(H3O)2](UO2)2(SiO4)2.3H2O

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Uranophane
[1]

Physical Properties of Uranophane

Cleavage:

{100} Perfect

Color:

Yellow, Yellow brown, Yellow green, Yellow orange, Light yellow.

Density:

3.9

Diaphaneity:

Translucent to subtranslucent

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Earthy - Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).

Habit:

Massive - Fibrous - Distinctly fibrous fine-grained forms.

Habit:

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

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=weak yellow-green, Long UV=weak yellow-green.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

yellowish white

Optical Properties of Uranophane

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.014 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.026 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1669,KPDmeas= 0.1691,KC= 0.1714
Ncalc = 1.67 - 1.68

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.643, b=1.666, g=1.669, bire=0.0260, 2V(Calc)=38, 2V(Meas)=32-45. Dispersion relatively strong.

Pleochroism (x):

none.

Pleochroism (y):

none.

Calculated Properties of Uranophane

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.62 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Uranophane =3.90 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0076882409
Boson Index = 0.9923117591

Photoelectric:

PE_Uranophane= 994.08 barns/electron
U=PE_Uranophane x r_electron=3,596.79 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 3,210,165.80 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Uranophane per GRapi unit = 311.51 (PPB)

Uranophane 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) 9.48 ± 2.37 grams of pure Uranophane .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 947.51 ±236.88 grams of pure Uranophane .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Uranophane** - very strong
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Becquerels (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	72,663,329	1.96E-03	3,210,165.80	1,055.40
100 gm / 3.66 cm	7,266,333	1.96E-04	321,016.58	105.54
10 gm / 1.70 cm	726,633	1.96E-05	32,101.66	10.55
1 gm / 7.88 mm	72,663	1.96E-06	3,210.17	1.06
0.1 gm / 3.66 mm	7,266	1.96E-07	321.02	0.11
0.01 gm / 1.70 mm	727	1.96E-08	32.10	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.79 mm	73	1.96E-09	3.21	0.00

Weight of pure Uranophane 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 Classification

Dana Class:

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

(53.03)with (UO2)

(53.03.01)Uranophane group

53.03.01.01 Kasolite Pb(UO2)SiO4•(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

53.03.01.02 Uranophane Ca(UO2)2SiO3(OH)2•5(H2O) P 2₁ 2

53.03.01.03 Sklodowskite (H3O)2Mg(UO2)2(SiO4)2•4(H2O) C 2/m 2/m

53.03.01.04 Cuprosklodowskite Cu[(UO2)(SiO2OH)]2•6(H2O) P1 1

53.03.01.05 Boltwoodite HK(UO2)(SiO4)•1.5(H2O) P 2₁ 2

53.03.01.06 Natroboltwoodite (H3O)(Na,K)(UO2)SiO4•(H2O) P 2₁2₁2₁ 2 2 2

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

53.03.01.08 Swamboite UH6(UO2)6(SiO4)6•30(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

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

Strunz Class:

09.AK.15 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.A - Nesosilicates

09.AK -Uranyl neso- and polysilicates

09.AK.15 Boltwoodite HK(UO2)(SiO4)•1.5(H2O) P 2₁ 2

09.AK.15 Kasolite Pb(UO2)SiO4•(H2O) P 2₁/a 2/m

09.AK.15 Uranophane Ca(UO2)2SiO3(OH)2•5(H2O) P 2₁ 2

09.AK.15 Natroboltwoodite (H3O)(Na,K)(UO2)SiO4•(H2O) P 2₁2₁2₁ 2 2 2

Other Uranophane Information

See Also:

Links to other databases for Uranophane :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
7 - GeoScienceWorld
8 - Google Images
9 - Google Scholar
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - Uranium Minerals
17 - Uranium Minerals
18 - WWW-MINCRYST
19 - theimage

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

Uranophane

Ca(UO2)2SiO3(OH)2•5(H2O)
Dana No: 53.03.01.02 Strunz No: 09.AK.15
Locality:

Notes: