Rutherfordine Mineral Data

General Rutherfordine Information

Chemical Formula:

UO2(CO3)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 330.04 gm

Uranium 72.12 % U 81.82 % UO₂

Carbon 3.64 % C 13.33 % CO₂

Oxygen 24.24 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.15 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

(UO₂)(CO₃)

Environment:

Secondary alteration product from uraninite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1906

Locality:

Uraguru Mountains, Tanganyika Territory, East Africa. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) British atomic physicist and Nobel laureate.

Name Pronunciation:

Rutherfordine + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 27053

PDF 11-263

Rutherfordine Image

Images:

Rutherfordine

Comments: Yellow, bladed crystals of rutherfordine.
Location: Shinkolobwe Mine, Tantara, Shaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Wyartite Rutherfordine

Comments: Brown, acicular wyartite crystals next to bright yellow rutherfordine tufts.
Location: Shinokolbwe mine, Tantara, Shaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Rutherfordine Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5263:1:0.4667

Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.845, b = 9.205, c = 4.296, Z = 2; V = 191.59 Den(Calc)= 5.72

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P mmm

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.6(1), 3.21(0.9), 4.29(0.8),

Physical Properties of Rutherfordine

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect, {001} Distinct

Color:

Brownish, Brownish yellow, White, Light brown orange, Light yellow.

Density:

5.7

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=weak yellow green, Long UV=weak yellow green.

Luster:

Earthy (Dull)

Streak:

yellow

Optical Properties of Rutherfordine

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.175 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.171 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1288,KPDmeas= 0.1292,KC= 0.11
Ncalc = 1.63

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.7-1.723, b=1.716-1.73, g=1.755-1.795, bire=0.0550-0.0720

Calculated Properties of Rutherfordine

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.78 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Rutherfordine =5.72 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0057094453
Boson Index = 0.9942905547

Photoelectric:

PE_{Rutherfordine}=1,956.66 barns/electron
U=PE_{Rutherfordine} x r_electron=9,359.61 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 5,140,998.87 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Rutherfordine per GRapi unit = 194.51 (PPB)

Rutherfordine 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) 5.92 ± 1.48 grams of pure Rutherfordine .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 591.65 ±147.91 grams of pure Rutherfordine .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Rutherfordine** - 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 / 6.94 cm	129,098,210	3.49E-03	5,140,998.87	1,690.19
100 gm / 3.22 cm	12,909,821	3.49E-04	514,099.89	169.02
10 gm / 1.49 cm	1,290,982	3.49E-05	51,409.99	16.90
1 gm / 6.94 mm	129,098	3.49E-06	5,141.00	1.69
0.1 gm / 3.22 mm	12,910	3.49E-07	514.10	0.17
0.01 gm / 1.49 mm	1,291	3.49E-08	51.41	0.02
0.001 gm / 0.69 mm	129	3.49E-09	5.14	0.00

Weight of pure Rutherfordine in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 5.72 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

Rutherfordine Classification

Dana Class:

14.01.04.01 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates

(14.01)with Simple Formula A+ CO3

(14.01.04)Dana Group

14.01.04.01 Rutherfordine UO2(CO3) P mmm 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

05.EB.05 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.E - Uranyl Carbonates

05.EB -UO2:CO3 = 1:1

05.EB.05 Rutherfordine UO2(CO3) P mmm 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Rutherfordine Information

References:

NAME( Ford32) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Rutherfordine :
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

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Rutherfordine

UO2(CO3)
Dana No: 14.01.04.01 Strunz No: 05.EB.05
Locality:

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