Moctezumite Mineral Data

General Moctezumite Information

Chemical Formula:

Pb(UO2)(TeO3)2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 828.42 gm

Uranium 28.73 % U 32.60 % UO₂

Tellurium 30.81 % Te 38.53 % TeO₂

Lead 25.01 % Pb 26.94 % PbO

Oxygen 15.45 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 98.07 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Pb(UO₂)(TeO₃)₂

Environment:

Secondary mineral in telluride-bearing ores.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1965

Locality:

Moctezuma mine (La Bambolla), Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the locality which was named after Moctezuma (1466-1520), last king of the Aztecs.

Name Pronunciation:

Moctezumite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 73442

PDF 18-707

Moctezumite Image

Images:

Moctezumite

Comments: Orange crystals of moctezumite on matrix.
Location: Moctezuma, Mun. de Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. Scale: Picture size 4 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Burckhardtite Moctezumite

Comments: Pink crusts of burckhardtite with yellow crystalline moctezumite on quartz.
Location: Moctezuma Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Moctezumite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.1065:1:1.9508

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.813, b = 7.061, c = 13.775, Z = 4; beta = 93.71° V = 758.34 Den(Calc)= 7.26

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.156(1), 3.492(0.9), 2.997(0.8),

Physical Properties of Moctezumite

Cleavage:

{100} Perfect

Color:

Orange, Dark orange, Brownish orange.

Density:

5.73

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Optical Properties of Moctezumite

Optical Data:

NCalc= 2.06 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.1459) where Ncalc=Dcalc*KC+1
NCalc= 1.84 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.1459) where Ncalc=Dmeas*KC+1

Calculated Properties of Moctezumite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.99 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Moctezumite =7.26 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.08
Boson Index = 0.92

Photoelectric:

PE_Moctezumite=1,369.00 barns/electron
U=PE_Moctezumite x r_electron=8,206.21 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 2,022,153.29 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Moctezumite per GRapi unit = 494.52 (PPB)

Moctezumite 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) 15.04 ± 3.76 grams of pure Moctezumite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 1504.2 ±376.04 grams of pure Moctezumite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Moctezumite** - 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 / 6.41 cm	51,431,595	1.39E-03	2,022,153.29	664.82
100 gm / 2.97 cm	5,143,160	1.39E-04	202,215.33	66.48
10 gm / 1.38 cm	514,316	1.39E-05	20,221.53	6.65
1 gm / 6.41 mm	51,432	1.39E-06	2,022.15	0.66
0.1 gm / 2.97 mm	5,143	1.39E-07	202.22	0.07
0.01 gm / 1.38 mm	514	1.39E-08	20.22	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.64 mm	51	1.39E-09	2.02	0.00

Weight of pure Moctezumite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 7.26 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

Moctezumite Classification

Dana Class:

34.01.05.01 (34)Selenites - Tellurites - Sulfites

(34.01)as A++ XO3

(34.01.05)Dana Group

34.01.05.01 Moctezumite Pb(UO2)(TeO3)2 P 2₁/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

04.JK.65 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.J - Arsenites, Antimonites, Bismuthites, Sulfites,

04.JK -Tellurites without additional anions, without H2O

04.JK.65 Moctezumite Pb(UO2)(TeO3)2 P 2₁/c 2/m

Other Moctezumite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Moctezumite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - Uranium Minerals
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Moctezumite

Pb(UO2)(TeO3)2
Dana No: 34.01.05.01 Strunz No: 04.JK.65
Locality:

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