Cheralite-(Ce) Mineral Data

General Cheralite-(Ce) Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ce,Ca,Th)(P,Si)O4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 239.85 gm

Calcium 5.01 % Ca 7.01 % CaO

Lanthanum 5.79 % La 6.79 % La₂O₃

Cerium 11.68 % Ce 13.68 % Ce₂O₃

La,Ce,Pr,Nd,Sm, 3.00 % RE 3.50 % REE₂O₃

Thorium 29.02 % Th 33.02 % ThO₂

Silicon 1.17 % Si 2.51 % SiO₂

Phosphorus 11.62 % P 26.63 % P₂O₅

Neodymium 6.01 % Nd 7.01 % Nd₂O₃

Oxygen 26.68 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.17 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Th_0.3Ca_0.3Ce_0.2Nd_0.1La_0.1REE_0.05(PO₄)_0.9(SiO₄)_0.1

Environment:

Disseminated in a kaolinitized pegmatite dike. Cheralite-(Ce) (1953) is now regarded as Ca-rich monazite-(Ce).

IMA Status:

Discredited IMA 2006 - Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1953

Locality:

From Kuttankuli (Kuttakuzhi), about 42 km east-southeast of Trivandrum, Kerala State, India. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

For Chera (Kerala), an ancient Dravidian kingdom predating Travancor (now Kerala State), India.

Synonym:

Brabantite

ICSD 81115

PDF 33-1095

Cheralite-(Ce) Image

Images:

Cheralite-(Ce)

Comments: Brown to tan, massive cheralite-(Ce) showing cleavage traces.
Location: Uranium King Mine, Trent Creek, Encampment Copper District, Sierra Madre Mts., Carbon Co., Wyoming, USA. Scale: Picture size 1.4 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Cheralite-(Ce) Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9706:1:0.9297

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.717, b = 6.92, c = 6.434, Z = 4; beta = 103.833° V = 290.39 Den(Calc)= 5.49

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/n

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.07(1), 2.86(0.9), 3.26(0.9),

Physical Properties of Cheralite-(Ce)

Cleavage:

{010} Distinct, {100} Poor, {001} Parting

Color:

{001}, Brown, Light green, Dark green.

Density:

5.3

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Habit:

Anhedral Grains - Granular minerals without the expression of crystal shapes

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luster:

Vitreous - Resinous

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Cheralite-(Ce)

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.109 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.14 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1443,KPDmeas= 0.1494,KC= 0.1678
Ncalc = 1.89 - 1.92

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.779, b=1.78, g=1.817, bire=0.0380, 2V(Calc)=20, 2V(Meas)=17-20.

Pleochroism (x):

green.

Pleochroism (y):

green.

Pleochroism (z):

yellowish green.

Calculated Properties of Cheralite-(Ce)

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.70 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Cheralite-(Ce) =5.30 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_{Cheralite-(Ce)}= 834.18 barns/electron
U=PE_{Cheralite-(Ce)} x r_electron=3,916.93 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 548,540.92 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Cheralite-(Ce) per GRapi unit =1,823.02 (PPB)

Cheralite-(Ce) 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) 55.45 ± 13.86 grams of pure Cheralite-(Ce) .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 5545.0 ±1386.3 grams of pure Cheralite-(Ce) .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Cheralite-(Ce)** - 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 / 7.12 cm	13,002,235	3.51E-04	548,540.92	180.34
100 gm / 3.30 cm	1,300,224	3.51E-05	54,854.09	18.03
10 gm / 1.53 cm	130,022	3.51E-06	5,485.41	1.80
1 gm / 7.12 mm	13,002	3.51E-07	548.54	0.18
0.1 gm / 3.30 mm	1,300	3.51E-08	54.85	0.02
0.01 gm / 1.53 mm	130	3.51E-09	5.49	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.71 mm	13	3.51E-10	0.55	0.00

Weight of pure Cheralite-(Ce) in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 5.30 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

Cheralite-(Ce) Classification

Dana Class:

38.04.03.03 (38)Anhydrous Phosphates, etc

(38.04)A+ XO4

(38.04.03)Monazite Group (Monoclinic: P21/n)

38.04.03.01 Monazite-(Ce) (Ce,La,Nd,Th)PO4 P 2₁/n 2/m

38.04.03.02 Monazite-(La) (La,Ce,Nd)PO4 P 2₁/n 2/m

38.04.03.03 Cheralite-(Ce)? (Ce,Ca,Th)(P,Si)O4 P 2₁/n 2/m

38.04.03.04 Brabantite? CaTh(PO4)2 P 2₁ 2

38.04.03.05 Monazite-(Nd) (Nd,Ce,La)(P,Si)O4 P 2₁/n 2/m

38.04.03.06 Gasparite-(Ce) CeAsO4 P 2₁/n 2/m

38.04.03.07 Monazite-(Sm)! SmPO4 P 2₁/n 2/m

Strunz Class:

08.XX.00 08 - PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.X - Unclassified Strunz PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES

08.XX -Monazite Group

08.XX.00 Arsenobismite? Bi2(AsO4)(OH)3 Unk Ortho

08.XX.00 Coeruleolactite (Ca,Cu)Al6(PO4)4(OH)8•4-5(H2O) P1 1

08.XX.00 Cheralite-(Ce)? (Ce,Ca,Th)(P,Si)O4 P 2₁/n 2/m

08.XX.00 Chernovite-(Ce)* (Ce,Y)(AsO4) I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

08.XX.00 Kerstenite? PbSeO4(?) P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

08.XX.00 Laubmannite? Fe3Fe6(PO4)4(OH)12 Unk Ortho

08.XX.00 Spodiosite? Ca2(PO4)F Pbcm 2/m 2/m 2/m

08.XX.00 Pseudo-autunite* (H3O)4Ca2(UO2)2(PO4)4•5(H2O)(?) Unk Ortho

08.XX.00 Viseite Ca10Al24(SiO4)6(PO4)7O22F3•72(H2O)(?) I a3d 4/m 3 2/m

08.XX.00 Vanuranylite? (H3O,Ba,Ca,K)1.6(UO2)2V2O8•4(H2O)(?) C 2/c ? 2/m

08.XX.00 Sodium-autunite Na2(UO2)2(PO4)2•8(H2O) P 4/nmm 4/m 2/m 2/m

08.XX.00 Sodium meta-autunite! Na2(UO2)2(PO4)2•6-8(H2O) P 4/nmm 4/m 2/m 2/m

08.XX.00 Slavkovite! Cu13(AsO4)6(AsO3OH)4•23(H2O) P1 1

08.XX.00 IMA2000-020! Fe4[AsO3OH]5[AsO2(OH)2]2•20(H2O) Ortho Ortho

08.XX.00 Lewisite! (Ca,Fe,Na)2(Sb,Ti)2O7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.XX.00 Kamarizaite! Fe3(AsO4)2(OH)3•3H2O Pccm, Pcc2, Pcmm, Pcm21 Ortho

08.XX.00 Lapeyreite! Cu3O[AsO3(OH)]2•H2O C 2/m 2/m

08.XX.00 IMA2008-063 Pb[Zn0.25,[]0.75]Fe3H(AsO4)2(OH)6 C 2/c 2/m

08.XX.00 IMA2009-002! Cu3(AsO4)2 P 2₁/c 2/m

08.XX.00 IMA2009-005 (Y,Ca,REE)5[(Si,P)O4]3F P 6₃/m 6/m 2/m 2/m

08.XX.00 IMA2009-016 Cu4H(AsO4)2(OH)3•H2O P1 1

Other Cheralite-(Ce) Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic4) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic4)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Cheralite-(Ce) :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
7 - MinDAT
8 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
9 - Online Mineral Museum
10 - QUT Mineral Atlas
11 - Ruff.Info
12 - Scandinavian mineral gallery

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Cheralite-(Ce) Specimen Label here :

Cheralite-(Ce)

(Ce,Ca,Th)(P,Si)O4
Dana No: 38.04.03.03 Strunz No: 08.XX.00
Locality:

Notes:

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