Thorutite Mineral Data

General Thorutite Information

Chemical Formula: (Th,U,Ca)Ti2(O,OH)6 Composition: Molecular Weight = 390.82 gm    Calcium    2.05 %  Ca    2.87 % CaO    Thorium   23.75 %  Th   27.02 % ThO₂    Uranium   24.36 %  U    27.64 % UO₂    Titanium  24.50 %  Ti   40.88 % TiO₂    Hydrogen   0.77 %  H     6.91 % H₂O    Oxygen    24.56 %  O             ______        ______              100.00 %      105.32 % = TOTAL OXIDE Empirical Formula: Th_0.4U_0.4Ca_0.2Ti₂O₃(OH)₃ Environment: In microcline veins cutting a nephelene syenite. IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1958 Locality: Somewhere in Russia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data. Name Origin: Named for the composition (Thorium, rutile). Name Pronunciation: Thorutite + Pronunciation Synonym: ICSD 14341   PDF 19-1351  

Thorutite Image

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Thorutite Crystallography

Axial Ratios: a:b:c =2.5685:1:1.8399 Cell Dimensions: a = 9.822, b = 3.824, c = 7.036, Z = 2; beta = 118.83° V = 231.51 Den(Calc)= 5.61 Crystal System: Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.17(1), 1.695(0.85), 1.728(0.85), Crystal Structure:

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Mitchell R H , Chakhmouradian A R , Physics and Chemistry of Minerals , 26 (1999) p.396-405, Solid solubility in the system NaLREETi2O6 - ThTi2O6, (LREE, light rare-earth elements): experimental and analytical data

 

Physical Properties of Thorutite

Cleavage: None Color: Black, Dark brown. Density: 5.82 Diaphaneity: Translucent Fracture: Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz). Hardness: 4.5-5.5 - Near Apatite Luster: Resinous Streak: light brown  

Optical Properties of Thorutite

Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.281 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.254 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1961,KPDmeas= 0.189,KC= 0.2629
Ncalc = 2.48 - 2.53 Optical Data: Isotropic, n=2.1.  

Calculated Properties of Thorutite

Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.93 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Thorutite =5.61 gm/cc.
Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.03
Boson Index = 0.97 Photoelectric: PE_Thorutite =1,201.59 barns/electron
U=PE_Thorutite x r_electron=5,926.41 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:

GRapi = 2,271,070.74 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Thorutite per GRapi unit = 440.32 (PPB)

Thorutite 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) 13.39 ± 3.35 grams of pure Thorutite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 1339.3 ±334.83 grams of pure Thorutite .

Estimated Radioactivity from Thorutite - 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 / 6.98 cm	54,247,096	1.47E-03	2,271,070.74	746.65
100 gm / 3.24 cm	5,424,710	1.47E-04	227,107.07	74.67
10 gm / 1.50 cm	542,471	1.47E-05	22,710.71	7.47
1 gm / 6.98 mm	54,247	1.47E-06	2,271.07	0.75
0.1 gm / 3.24 mm	5,425	1.47E-07	227.11	0.07
0.01 gm / 1.50 mm	542	1.47E-08	22.71	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.70 mm	54	1.47E-09	2.27	0.00

Weight of pure Thorutite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 5.61 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

 

Thorutite Classification

Dana Class: 08.03.04.02 (08)Multiple Oxides with Nb, Ta, and Ti   (08.03)where A (B2O6)   (08.03.04)Dana Group  

08.03.04.01 Brannerite (U,Ca,Ce)(Ti,Fe)2O6 C 2/m 2/m

 

08.03.04.02 Thorutite (Th,U,Ca)Ti2(O,OH)6 C 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class: 04.DH.05 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate   04.D - Metal:Oxygen = 1:2 and similar   04.DH -With large (± medium-sized) cations; sheets of edge-sharing octahedra  

04.DH.05 Brannerite (U,Ca,Ce)(Ti,Fe)2O6 C 2/m 2/m

 

04.DH.05 Orthobrannerite UUTi4O12(OH)2 P 2₁22 2 2 2

 

04.DH.05 Thorutite (Th,U,Ca)Ti2(O,OH)6 C 2/m 2/m

 

Other Thorutite Information

References: NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) See Also: Links to other databases for Thorutite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - Uranium Minerals
16 - WWW-MINCRYST
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