Uranosphaerite Mineral Data

General Uranosphaerite Information

Chemical Formula: Bi(UO2)O2(OH) Composition: Molecular Weight = 528.01 gm    Uranium   45.08 %  U    51.14 % UO₂    Bismuth   39.58 %  Bi   44.12 % Bi₂O₃    Hydrogen   0.19 %  H     1.71 % H₂O    Oxygen    15.15 %  O             ______        ______              100.00 %       96.97 % = TOTAL OXIDE Empirical Formula: Bi(UO₂)O₂(OH) Environment: Oxidic zone of "gummite" alteration of uraninite. IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1873 Locality: Shinkolobwe, Shaba, Zaire. Link to MinDat.org Location Data. Name Origin: Named for the compostition uranium and the Greek for sphere, in allusion to its globular forms. Name Pronunciation: Uranosphaerite + Pronunciation  

Uranosphaerite Image

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Uranosphaerite Crystallography

Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.9677:1:0.9848 Cell Dimensions: a = 7.559, b = 7.811, c = 7.693, Z = 4; beta = 92.88° V = 453.65 Den(Calc)= 7.73 Crystal System: Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/n X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.16(1), 1.83(0.8), 3.87(0.7), Crystal Structure:

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Hughes K-A , Burns P C , Kolitsch U , The Canadian Mineralogist , 41 (2003) p.677-685, Crystal structure and crystal chemistry of uranosphaerite, Bi(UO2)O2OH, Note: natural sample, Locality: Clara barite and fluorite mine, Black Forest, Germany View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Uranosphaerite [1]

 

Physical Properties of Uranosphaerite

Cleavage: {001} Good Color: Orange, Red orange, Brick red. Density: 6.36 Habit: Botryoidal - "Grape-like" rounded forms (e.g.. malachite). Habit: Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite) Hardness: 2-3 - Gypsum-Calcite Luster: Greasy (Oily) Streak: yellow  

Optical Properties of Uranosphaerite

Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= -0.263 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.04 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1294,KPDmeas= 0.1572,KC= 0.1244
Ncalc = 1.79 - 1.96 Optical Data: Biaxial (+), a=1.959, b=1.981, g=2.06, bire=0.1010, 2V(Calc)=58, 2V(Meas)=56. Dispersion strong, r < v. Pleochroism (x): none. Pleochroism (y): none. Pleochroism (z): none.  

Calculated Properties of Uranosphaerite

Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=6.32 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Uranosphaerite =7.73 gm/cc.
Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0033191658
Boson Index = 0.9966808342 Photoelectric: PE_{Uranosphaerite} =2,028.56 barns/electron
U=PE_{Uranosphaerite} x r_electron=12829.37 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:

GRapi = 3,143,807.17 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Uranosphaerite per GRapi unit = 318.09 (PPB)

Uranosphaerite 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) 9.68 ± 2.42 grams of pure Uranosphaerite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 967.51 ±241.88 grams of pure Uranosphaerite .

Estimated Radioactivity from Uranosphaerite - 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 / 6.27 cm	80,693,227	2.18E-03	3,143,807.17	1,033.58
100 gm / 2.91 cm	8,069,323	2.18E-04	314,380.72	103.36
10 gm / 1.35 cm	806,932	2.18E-05	31,438.07	10.34
1 gm / 6.27 mm	80,693	2.18E-06	3,143.81	1.03
0.1 gm / 2.91 mm	8,069	2.18E-07	314.38	0.10
0.01 gm / 1.35 mm	807	2.18E-08	31.44	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.63 mm	81	2.18E-09	3.14	0.00

Weight of pure Uranosphaerite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 7.73 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

 

Uranosphaerite Classification

Dana Class: 05.09.01.01 (05)Oxides Containing Uranium and Thorium   (05.09)with a cation charge of 6+ containing Pb or Bi and some water of hydration or hydroxyl   (05.09.01)Dana Group  

05.09.01.01 Uranosphaerite Bi(UO2)O2(OH) P 2₁/n 2/m

Strunz Class: 04.GB.65 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate   04.G - Uranyl Hydroxides   04.GB -With additional cations (K, Ca, Ba, Pb, etc.); with mainly UO2(O,OH)5 pentagonal polyhedra  

04.GB.65 Uranosphaerite Bi(UO2)O2(OH) P 2₁/n 2/m

 

Other Uranosphaerite Information

References: NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8, CanMin v 41, p 677) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8) See Also: Links to other databases for Uranosphaerite :
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
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