Asselbornite Mineral Data

General Asselbornite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Pb,Ba)(UO2)6(BiO)4(AsO4)2(OH)12•3(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 3,237.04 gm

Barium 1.48 % Ba 1.66 % BaO

Uranium 42.50 % U 48.22 % UO₂

Bismuth 26.99 % Bi 30.08 % Bi₂O₃

Arsenic 3.77 % As 5.79 % As₂O₅

Phosphorus 0.44 % P 1.01 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 0.56 % H 5.01 % H₂O

Lead 4.93 % Pb 5.31 % PbO

Oxygen 19.33 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 97.07 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Pb_0.77Ba_0.35(UO₂)_5.78BiO_4.18AsO₄_1.63(PO₄)_0.46(OH)₁₂ï¿½3(H₂O)

Environment:

On a museum specimen initially, and in quartz gangue from a mine.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1983

Locality:

Walpurgis vein, Weisser Hirsch, Neustadtel, Schneeberg, Saxony, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Eric Asselborn (1954-), mineral collector and surgeon, Montrevel-en-Bresse, Dijon, France, in whose collection the mineral was first found..

Name Pronunciation:

Asselbornite + Pronunciation

Asselbornite Image

Images:

Asselbornite

Comments: Small orange cubes of asselbornite on yellow uranophane.
Location: WeiÃŸer Hirsch Mine, Schneeberg, Erzgebirge, Sachsen, Germany. Scale: Picture size 1 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Asselbornite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 15.66, Z = 4; V = 3,840.39 Den(Calc)= 5.60

Crystal System:

Isometric - Hexoctahedral H-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: I m3m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.185(1), 3.196(0.8), 4.52(0.7),

Physical Properties of Asselbornite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Brown, Lemon yellow.

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Habit:

Euhedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing good external form.

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Luster:

Adamantine - Greasy

Streak:

lemon

Optical Properties of Asselbornite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI calc= -0.221 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1607,KC= 0.1317
Ncalc = 1.74

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=1.9.

Calculated Properties of Asselbornite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.68 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Asselbornite =5.60 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Asselbornite=1,773.68 barns/electron
U=PE_Asselbornite x r_electron=8,302.71 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 3,028,304.94 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Asselbornite per GRapi unit = 330.22 (PPB)

Asselbornite 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) 10.04 ± 2.51 grams of pure Asselbornite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 1004.4 ±251.10 grams of pure Asselbornite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Asselbornite** - 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 / 6.99 cm	76,078,522	2.06E-03	3,028,304.94	995.61
100 gm / 3.24 cm	7,607,852	2.06E-04	302,830.49	99.56
10 gm / 1.51 cm	760,785	2.06E-05	30,283.05	9.96
1 gm / 6.99 mm	76,079	2.06E-06	3,028.30	1.00
0.1 gm / 3.24 mm	7,608	2.06E-07	302.83	0.10
0.01 gm / 1.51 mm	761	2.06E-08	30.28	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.70 mm	76	2.06E-09	3.03	0.00

Weight of pure Asselbornite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 5.60 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

Asselbornite Classification

Dana Class:

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

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

(42.04.11)Asselbornite Group

42.04.11.01 Asselbornite (Pb,Ba)(UO2)6(BiO)4(AsO4)2(OH)12•3(H2O) I m3m 4/m 3 2/m

42.04.11.02 Sreinite! Pb2(UO2)11(BiO)8(PO4)5(OH)19•6(H2O) I m3m, I 432, I m3 or I 23 Cubic

Strunz Class:

08.ED.10 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.E - Uranyl Phosphates and Arsenates

08.ED -Unclassified

08.ED.10 Asselbornite (Pb,Ba)(UO2)6(BiO)4(AsO4)2(OH)12•3(H2O) I m3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.ED.10 Sreinite! Pb2(UO2)11(BiO)8(PO4)5(OH)19•6(H2O) I m3m, I 432, I m3 or I 23 Cubic

Other Asselbornite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Asselbornite :
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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Asselbornite

(Pb,Ba)(UO2)6(BiO)4(AsO4)2(OH)12•3(H2O)
Dana No: 42.04.11.01 Strunz No: 08.ED.10
Locality:

Notes:

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