Spriggite Mineral Data

General Spriggite Information

Chemical Formula:

Pb3[(UO2)6O8(OH)2](H2O)x; x ~ 3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 2,424.63 gm

Barium 0.23 % Ba 0.25 % BaO

Calcium 0.10 % Ca 0.14 % CaO

Uranium 59.10 % U 67.04 % UO₂

Hydrogen 0.33 % H 2.99 % H₂O

Lead 23.76 % Pb 25.59 % PbO

Oxygen 16.48 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 96.02 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Pb_2.78Ca_0.06Ba_0.04(UO₂)_6.02O_7.89(OH)_2.05•3(H₂O)

Environment:

Found in the alteration zone of a hydrothermal hematite-U-Nb-REE deposit from the Mt Painter inlier. New structure type

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 2003 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Near Arkaroola, Northern Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Reginald Claude Sprigg (1919-1994), South Australian Geological Survey.

Synonym:

IMA2002-014

Spriggite Image

Images:

Spriggite

Comments: Secondary electron microscope image of spriggite crystals and twins. (AmMin, 89:341).
Location: Number 2 workings, Radium Ridge, Northern Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Scale: See Image.
© American Mineralogist

Spriggite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =2.3648:1:1.1674

Cell Dimensions:

a = 28.355, b = 11.99, c = 13.998, Z = 8; beta = 104.248° V = 4,612.60 Den(Calc)= 6.98

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.1(1)(204,604,332,5323.46(0.8)(800), 1.918(0.6)(10.04), 6.92(0.6)(400), 2.01(0.3)(336), 2.74(0.3)(440), 6.02(0.3)(112,020), 1.738(0.3

Physical Properties of Spriggite

Cleavage:

{100} Good

Color:

Bright orange.

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Hardness:

4 - Fluorite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

pale orange

Optical Properties of Spriggite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI calc= -0.087 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1216,KC= 0.1119
Ncalc = 1.78

Optical Data:

Biaxial (?), a=1.807, g=1.891, bire=0.0840

Calculated Properties of Spriggite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.72 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Spriggite =6.98 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.05
Boson Index = 0.95

Photoelectric:

PE_Spriggite=2,083.02 barns/electron
U=PE_Spriggite x r_electron=11910.80 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 4,126,731.93 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Spriggite per GRapi unit = 242.32 (PPB)

Spriggite 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) 7.37 ± 1.84 grams of pure Spriggite .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 737.06 ±184.27 grams of pure Spriggite .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Spriggite** - 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 / 6.49 cm	105,787,495	2.86E-03	4,126,731.93	1,356.73
100 gm / 3.01 cm	10,578,750	2.86E-04	412,673.19	135.67
10 gm / 1.40 cm	1,057,875	2.86E-05	41,267.32	13.57
1 gm / 6.49 mm	105,787	2.86E-06	4,126.73	1.36
0.1 gm / 3.01 mm	10,579	2.86E-07	412.67	0.14
0.01 gm / 1.40 mm	1,058	2.86E-08	41.27	0.01
0.001 gm / 0.65 mm	106	2.86E-09	4.13	0.00

Weight of pure Spriggite in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 6.98 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

Spriggite Classification

Dana Class:

05.02.03.01 (05)Oxides Containing Uranium and Thorium

(05.02)with a cation charge of 6+ (AO3) and hydrated

(05.02.03)Dana Group

05.02.03.01 Spriggite! Pb3[(UO2)6O8(OH)2](H2O)x;x~3 C 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

04.GC.15 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.G - Uranyl Hydroxides

04.GC -With additional cations; with UO2(O,OH)6 hexagonal polyhedra

04.GC.15 Spriggite! Pb3[(UO2)6O8(OH)2](H2O)x;x~3 C 2/c 2/m

Other Spriggite Information

References:

NAME( AmMin, v 89, p 339) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, v 89, p 339) OPTIC PROP.(AmMin, v 89, p 339)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Spriggite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - MinDAT
7 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
8 - Online Mineral Museum
9 - QUT Mineral Atlas
10 - Ruff.Info

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Spriggite Specimen Label here :

Spriggite

Pb3[(UO2)6O8(OH)2](H2O)x; x ~ 3
Dana No: 05.02.03.01 Strunz No: 04.GC.15
Locality:

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