Uranopilite Mineral Data

[Minerals for Sale] [New Minerals] [Diamond Crystals] [Gem Minerals] [My Best Minerals]
Classic minerals, out-of-print books & magazines, plus informative articles for collectors

General Uranopilite Information

Chemical Formula:

[(UO2)6(SO4)O2(OH)6(H2O)6]•8(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 2,102.49 gm

Uranium 67.93 % U 77.06 % UO₂

Hydrogen 1.63 % H 14.57 % H₂O

Sulfur 1.53 % S 3.81 % SO₃

Oxygen 28.92 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.43 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

(UO₂)₆(SO₄)O₂(OH)₆(H₂O)₆•8(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral found on altering uraninite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1882

Locality:

Jachymov, Bohemia, Czech Republic. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for uranium and the Greek for "felt", alluding to the composition and habit.

Name Pronunciation:

Uranopilite + Pronunciation

Uranopilite Image

Images:

Uranopilite Zippeite

Comments: Bright yellow uranopilite and reddish brown zippeite encrustations on uranium ore.
Location: Happy Jack Mine, White Canyon, Utah. Scale: 3 cm.
© John Veevaert

Images:

Uranopilite

Comments: Bright yellow crystalline uranopilite aggregate of prismatic microcrystals.
Location: Jachymov, Northwestern Bohemia, Zapadocesky, Czech Republic. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Uranopilite Johannite

Comments: Bright yellow rosettes of uranopilite with pale greenish yellow johannite on matrix.
Location: Apex Mine, Lander Co., Nevada, USA. Scale: Picture size 0.5 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Images:

Uranopilite Johannite

Comments: Green aggregates of minute, acicular johannite and yellow uranopilite and clear, tabular aragonite crystals on matrix.
Location: Apex Mine, Lander Co., Nevada, USA. Scale: Picture size 1.5 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Uranopilite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6341:1:1.022

Cell Dimensions:

a = 8.896, b = 14.029, c = 14.339, Z = 2; alpha = 96.61°, beta = 98.472°, gamma = 99.802° V = 1,732.58 Den(Calc)= 4.03

Crystal System:

Triclinic - PinacoidalH-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 7.12(1), 4.28(0.8), 9.18(0.8),

Crystal Structure:

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

Burns P C , The Canadian Mineralogist , 39 (2001) p.1139-1146, A new uranyl sulfate chain in the structure of uranopilite

Physical Properties of Uranopilite

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect

Color:

Lemon, Straw yellow.

Density:

3.7 - 4, Average = 3.85

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

Reniform - "Kidney like" in shape (e.g.. hematite).

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=bright greenish yellow, Long UV=bright greenish yellow.

Luster:

Silky

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Optical Properties of Uranopilite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.222 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.162 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1549,KPDmeas= 0.1629,KC= 0.1333
Ncalc = 1.49 - 1.54

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.623, b=1.625, g=1.634, bire=0.0110, 2V(Calc)=52, 2V(Meas)=large. Dispersion r > v to r < v extreme.

Calculated Properties of Uranopilite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.49 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Uranopilite =4.05 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0051464362
Boson Index = 0.9948535638

Photoelectric:

PE_Uranopilite=1,788.33 barns/electron
U=PE_Uranopilite x r_electron=6,242.04 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,990,067.44 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Uranopilite per GRapi unit = 200.40 (PPB)

Uranopilite 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) 6.10 ± 1.52 grams of pure Uranopilite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 609.54 ±152.39 grams of pure Uranopilite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Uranopilite** - 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 / 7.78 cm	121,590,808	3.29E-03	4,990,067.44	1,640.57
100 gm / 3.61 cm	12,159,081	3.29E-04	499,006.74	164.06
10 gm / 1.68 cm	1,215,908	3.29E-05	49,900.67	16.41
1 gm / 7.78 mm	121,591	3.29E-06	4,990.07	1.64
0.1 gm / 3.61 mm	12,159	3.29E-07	499.01	0.16
0.01 gm / 1.68 mm	1,216	3.29E-08	49.90	0.02
0.001 gm / 0.78 mm	122	3.29E-09	4.99	0.00

Weight of pure Uranopilite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.05 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

Uranopilite Classification

Dana Class:

31.02.06.01 (31)Hydrated Sulfates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(31.02)where (A+ B++)6 (XO4) Zq·x(H2O)

(31.02.06)Dana Group

31.02.06.01 Uranopilite [(UO2)6(SO4)O2(OH)6(H2O)6]•8(H2O) P1 1

31.02.06.02 Jachymovite! (UO2)8(SO4)(OH)14•13(H2O) P 2₁,P 2₁/m Mono

Strunz Class:

07.EA.05 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.E - Uranyl Sulfates

07.EA -Without cations

07.EA.05 Metauranopilite (UO2)6(SO4)(OH)10•5(H2O) Unk Ortho

07.EA.05 Uranopilite [(UO2)6(SO4)O2(OH)6(H2O)6]•8(H2O) P1 1

Other Uranopilite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8, AmMin, Vol 87, p 768) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

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

Search for Uranopilite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Uranopilite :

A Bijoux Google Search for Uranopilite
Adam's Minerals Google Search for Uranopilite
Cape Minerals Google Search for Uranopilite
Dakota Matrix Minerals Google Search for Uranopilite
Excalibur Mineral Corp. Google Search for Uranopilite
Exceptional Minerals Google Search for Uranopilite
John Betts Fine Minerals Search for Uranopilite
McDougall Minerals Google Search for Uranopilite
Mineral News Website Link
Rock and Mineral Shows Google Search for Uranopilite
Weinrich Minerals, Inc. Google Search for Uranopilite

Ask about Uranopilite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

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

Uranopilite

[(UO2)6(SO4)O2(OH)6(H2O)6]•8(H2O)
Dana No: 31.02.06.01 Strunz No: 07.EA.05
Locality:

Notes: