Althupite Mineral Data

General Althupite Information

Chemical Formula:

ThAl(UO2)7(PO4)4(OH)5•15(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 2,884.36 gm

Thorium 8.04 % Th 9.15 % ThO₂

Uranium 57.77 % U 65.53 % UO₂

Aluminum 0.94 % Al 1.77 % Al₂O₃

Phosphorus 4.30 % P 9.84 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.22 % H 10.93 % H₂O

Oxygen 27.73 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 97.23 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

ThAl(UO₂)₇(PO₄)₄(OH)₅•15(H₂O)

Environment:

A secondary mineral in the uraniferous zone of an altered granite pegmatite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1986

Locality:

At the Kobokobo pegmatite, Lusungu River district, Kivu Province, Congo (Zaire). Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

For the major cations in the composition, Aluminum, Thorium, Uranium, Phosphorus.

Name Pronunciation:

Althupite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 202166

PDF 40-503

Althupite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5899:1:0.7273

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.953, b = 18.567, c = 13.504, Z = 2; alpha = 72.64°, beta = 68.2°, gamma = 84.21° V = 2,421.27 Den(Calc)= 3.96

Crystal System:

Triclinic - Pinacoidal H-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 10.2(1), 5.09(0.7), 5.8(0.5),

Physical Properties of Althupite

Cleavage:

{???} Good

Color:

Yellow.

Density:

3.9

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Hardness:

3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

yellow white

Optical Properties of Althupite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.191 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.179 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1646,KPDmeas= 0.1663,KC= 0.1397
Ncalc = 1.54 - 1.55

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.62, b=1.661, g=1.665, bire=0.0450, 2V(Calc)=34, 2V(Meas)=34.

Calculated Properties of Althupite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.39 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Althupite =3.94 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0042942437
Boson Index = 0.9957057563

Photoelectric:

PE_Althupite=1,718.60 barns/electron
U=PE_Althupite x r_electron=5,831.41 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,388,255.15 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Althupite per GRapi unit = 227.88 (PPB)

Althupite 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) 6.93 ± 1.73 grams of pure Althupite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 693.14 ±173.28 grams of pure Althupite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Althupite** - 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 / 7.86 cm	107,006,405	2.89E-03	4,388,255.15	1,442.71
100 gm / 3.65 cm	10,700,641	2.89E-04	438,825.52	144.27
10 gm / 1.69 cm	1,070,064	2.89E-05	43,882.55	14.43
1 gm / 7.86 mm	107,006	2.89E-06	4,388.26	1.44
0.1 gm / 3.65 mm	10,701	2.89E-07	438.83	0.14
0.01 gm / 1.69 mm	1,070	2.89E-08	43.88	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.79 mm	107	2.89E-09	4.39	0.00

Weight of pure Althupite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.94 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

Althupite Classification

Dana Class:

42.04.13.01 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(42.04)where (AB)5 (XO4)2 Zq ï¿½ x(H2O)

(42.04.13)Dana Group

42.04.13.01 Althupite ThAl(UO2)7(PO4)4(OH)5•15(H2O) P1 1

Strunz Class:

08.EC.25 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.E - Uranyl Phosphates and Arsenates

08.EC -UO2:RO4 = 3:2

08.EC.25 Althupite ThAl(UO2)7(PO4)4(OH)5•15(H2O) P1 1

Other Althupite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Bull.Miner.,Vol.107-111,1984-1988) OPTIC PROP.(Bull.Miner.,Vol.107-111,1984-1988)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Althupite :
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

Search for Althupite using:

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

Visit our Advertisers for Althupite :

Ask about Althupite 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 Althupite Specimen Label here :

Althupite

ThAl(UO2)7(PO4)4(OH)5•15(H2O)
Dana No: 42.04.13.01 Strunz No: 08.EC.25
Locality:

Notes:

Dakota Matrix
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Hudson Insitute
John Betts Fine Minerals
Mc Dougall Minerals
Mineral News
Rock and Mineral Shows
Weinrich Minerals, Inc.