Mineralogy Database

Sharpite Mineral Data

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General Sharpite Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: Ca(UO2)6(CO3)5(OH)4•6(H2O)
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 2,136.41 gm
   Calcium    1.88 %  Ca    2.62 % CaO
   Uranium   66.85 %  U    75.84 % UO2
   Hydrogen   0.75 %  H     6.75 % H2O
   Carbon     2.81 %  C    10.30 % CO2
   Oxygen    27.71 %  O
            ______        ______ 
            100.00 %       95.51 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Ca(UO2)6(CO3)5(OH)4•6(H2O)
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1938
Help on Locality: Locality: Shinkolobwe, Shaba, Zaire. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named for R. R. Sharp (1881-1956), English engineer, prospector, and soldier, who discovered the Shikolobwe uranium deposit in 1915.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Sharpite Say SHARPITE
 

Sharpite Crystallography
Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =1.4069:1:0.287
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 21.99, b = 15.63, c = 4.487, Z = 2; V = 1,542.20 Den(Calc)= 4.60
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Orthorhombic Space Group: Unk
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 4.497(1), 3.91(0.48), 7.82(0.4),
 

Physical Properties of Sharpite

Help on Color: Color: Greenish yellow, Olive green, Grayish white.
Help on Density: Density: 4.45
Help on Habit: Habit: Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.
Help on Habit: Habit: Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 2.5 - Finger Nail
 

Optical Properties of Sharpite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= -0.206 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.167 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1471,KPDmeas= 0.152,KC= 0.126
Ncalc = 1.56 - 1.58
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (+), a=1.633, g=1.72, bire=0.0870
Help on Pleochroism (x): Pleochroism (x): none.
Help on Pleochroism (y): Pleochroism (y): none.
Help on Pleochroism (z): Pleochroism (z): none.
 

Calculated Properties of Sharpite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.94 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Sharpite =4.60 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0052818142
Boson Index = 0.9947181858
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PESharpite =1,772.84 barns/electron
U=PESharpite x relectron=6,977.82 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,875,522.45 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Sharpite per GRapi unit = 205.11 (PPB)

Sharpite 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) 6.24 ± 1.56 grams of pure Sharpite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 623.86 ±155.97 grams of pure Sharpite .

Estimated Radioactivity from Sharpite - 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 / 7.46 cm 119,660,033 3.23E-03 4,875,522.45 1,602.91
100 gm / 3.46 cm 11,966,003 3.23E-04 487,552.25 160.29
10 gm / 1.61 cm 1,196,600 3.23E-05 48,755.22 16.03
1 gm / 7.46 mm 119,660 3.23E-06 4,875.52 1.60
0.1 gm / 3.46 mm 11,966 3.23E-07 487.55 0.16
0.01 gm / 1.61 mm 1,197 3.23E-08 48.76 0.02
0.001 gm / 0.75 mm 120 3.23E-09 4.88 0.00

Weight of pure Sharpite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 4.60 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
 

Sharpite Classification
Help on Dana Class: Dana Class: 16b.07.10.01 (16b)Carbonates - Hydroxyl or Halogen
  (16b.07)Dana Type
  (16b.07.10)Dana Group
 
16b.07.10.01 Sharpite Ca(UO2)6(CO3)5(OH)4•6(H2O) Unk Ortho
Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 05.EA.35 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)
  05.E - Uranyl Carbonates
  05.EA -UO2:CO3 > 1:1
 
05.EA.35 Sharpite Ca(UO2)6(CO3)5(OH)4•6(H2O) Unk Ortho
 

Other Sharpite Information
Help on References: References: NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Sharpite :
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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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Sharpite Specimen Label here :

Sharpite

Ca(UO2)6(CO3)5(OH)4•6(H2O)
Dana No: 16b.07.10.01 Strunz No: 05.EA.35
Locality:

 

Notes:

 
 
   
 

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