Rabbittite Mineral Data

General Rabbittite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca3Mg3(UO2)2(CO3)6(OH)4•18(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,485.56 gm

Calcium 8.09 % Ca 11.32 % CaO

Magnesium 4.91 % Mg 8.14 % MgO

Uranium 32.05 % U 36.35 % UO₂

Hydrogen 2.71 % H 24.25 % H₂O

Carbon 4.85 % C 17.77 % CO₂

Oxygen 47.39 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 97.85 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₃Mg₃(UO₂)₂(CO₃)₆(OH)₄•18(H₂O)

Environment:

Mine wall efflorescence.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1955

Locality:

Lucky Strick No. 2 mine, Emery County, Utah, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for John Charles Rabbitt (1907-1957), geologist with the U. S. Geological Survey.

Name Pronunciation:

Rabbittite + Pronunciation

Rabbittite Image

Images:

Rabbittite

Comments: Fine, yellow, acicular sprays of rabbittite to about 1mm on matrix.
Location: Hideout mine, San Juan Co., Utah, USA. Scale: 20x10x4mm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Rabbittite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.3697:1:0.397

Cell Dimensions:

a = 32.6, b = 23.8, c = 9.45, Z = 8; beta = 90° V = 7,332.07 Den(Calc)= 2.69

Crystal System:

Monoclinic Space Group: Unk

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 8.24(1), 4.37(0.8), 7.79(0.8),

Physical Properties of Rabbittite

Cleavage:

{001} Perfect, {???} Perfect, {???} Perfect

Color:

Pale green, Greenish yellow.

Density:

2.57 - 2.6, Average = 2.58

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Efflorescences - Crystals covering matrix, generally produced from transpiro-evaporation.

Habit:

Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=cream yellow.

Luster:

Silky

Optical Properties of Rabbittite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.008 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.031 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1902,KPDmeas= 0.1979,KC= 0.1964
Ncalc = 1.5 - 1.53

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.502, b=1.508, g=1.525, bire=0.0230

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Pleochroism (z):

colorless.

Calculated Properties of Rabbittite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.46 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Rabbittite =2.59 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0080899329
Boson Index = 0.9919100671

Photoelectric:

PE_Rabbittite= 764.06 barns/electron
U=PE_Rabbittite x r_electron=1,882.61 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 2,603,598.06 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Rabbittite per GRapi unit = 384.08 (PPB)

Rabbittite 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) 11.68 ± 2.92 grams of pure Rabbittite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 1168.3 ±292.06 grams of pure Rabbittite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Rabbittite** - 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 / 9.04 cm	57,361,612	1.55E-03	2,603,598.06	855.98
100 gm / 4.20 cm	5,736,161	1.55E-04	260,359.81	85.60
10 gm / 1.95 cm	573,616	1.55E-05	26,035.98	8.56
1 gm / 9.04 mm	57,362	1.55E-06	2,603.60	0.86
0.1 gm / 4.20 mm	5,736	1.55E-07	260.36	0.09
0.01 gm / 1.95 mm	574	1.55E-08	26.04	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.90 mm	57	1.55E-09	2.60	0.00

Weight of pure Rabbittite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 2.59 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

Rabbittite Classification

Dana Class:

16b.07.03.01 (16b)Carbonates - Hydroxyl or Halogen

(16b.07)Dana Type

(16b.07.03)Dana Group

16b.07.03.01 Rabbittite Ca3Mg3(UO2)2(CO3)6(OH)4•18(H2O) Unk Mono

Strunz Class:

05.ED.25 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.E - Uranyl Carbonates

05.ED -UO2:CO3 = 1:3

05.ED.25 Rabbittite Ca3Mg3(UO2)2(CO3)6(OH)4•18(H2O) Unk Mono

Other Rabbittite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Rabbittite :
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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Rabbittite

Ca3Mg3(UO2)2(CO3)6(OH)4•18(H2O)
Dana No: 16b.07.03.01 Strunz No: 05.ED.25
Locality:

Notes:

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