Uranpyrochlore Mineral Data

General Uranpyrochlore Information

Chemical Formula:

(U,Ca,Ce)2(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH,F)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 541.23 gm

Calcium 5.18 % Ca 7.25 % CaO

Cerium 20.71 % Ce 24.26 % Ce₂O₃

Uranium 17.59 % U 19.96 % UO₂

Tantalum 16.72 % Ta 20.41 % Ta₂O₅

Niobium 18.88 % Nb 27.01 % Nb₂O₅

Hydrogen 0.17 % H 1.50 % H₂O

Oxygen 20.40 % O

Fluorine 0.35 % F 0.35 % F

- % F -0.15 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 100.59 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

U_0.4Ca_0.7Ce_0.8Nb_1.1Ta_0.5O₆(OH)_0.9F_0.1

Environment:

Cemented calcareous tuffs associated with carbonatite.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1977

Locality:

Kasenda, Fort Portal area, Uganda. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for its URANium content and membership in the pyrochlore group.

Name Pronunciation:

Uranpyrochlore + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Hatchettolite

Uranpyrochlore Image

Images:

Uranpyrochlore Samarskite-(Y)

Comments: Deep greenish-brown resinous crystalline massive uranpyrochlore with black samarskite-(Y).
Location: Beryl Hill, near Yinnietharra Station, Western Australia, Australia. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Uranpyrochlore Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.44, Z = 8; V = 1,137.89 Den(Calc)= 6.32

Crystal System:

Isometric - Hexoctahedral H-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F d3m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.01(1), 1.84(0.8), 1.575(0.6),7.3(0.4), 2.61(0.3), 1.202(0.2), 1.168(0.2),

Physical Properties of Uranpyrochlore

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Yellow brown, Red, Reddish brown, Black.

Density:

4.8

Diaphaneity:

Translucent to Opaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Habit:

Octahedral Crystals - Occurs as octahedral shaped crystals.

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Resinous

Streak:

brownish yellow

Optical Properties of Uranpyrochlore

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.143 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.132 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1551,KPDmeas= 0.2042,KC= 0.1786
Ncalc = 1.86 - 2.13

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=1.98.

Calculated Properties of Uranpyrochlore

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.51 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Uranpyrochlore =6.32 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0014547919
Boson Index = 0.9985452081

Photoelectric:

PE_{Uranpyrochlore}= 796.68 barns/electron
U=PE_{Uranpyrochlore} x r_electron=4,387.24 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 1,325,812.01 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Uranpyrochlore per GRapi unit = 754.25 (PPB)

Uranpyrochlore 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) 22.94 ± 5.74 grams of pure Uranpyrochlore .
Estimated Maximum U.S. Postal Shipping Size (10 mRem/hr limit, Unshielded 100 cm box) 2294.2 ±573.55 grams of pure Uranpyrochlore .

**Estimated Radioactivity from Uranpyrochlore** - 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 / 6.71 cm	31,952,945	8.64E-04	1,325,812.01	435.88
100 gm / 3.11 cm	3,195,295	8.64E-05	132,581.20	43.59
10 gm / 1.45 cm	319,529	8.64E-06	13,258.12	4.36
1 gm / 6.71 mm	31,953	8.64E-07	1,325.81	0.44
0.1 gm / 3.11 mm	3,195	8.64E-08	132.58	0.04
0.01 gm / 1.45 mm	320	8.64E-09	13.26	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.67 mm	32	8.64E-10	1.33	0.00

Weight of pure Uranpyrochlore in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 6.32 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
Estimated Thorium Activity ( 1.04 % Th) From Sum REE Elements (20.71 % REE)

Uranpyrochlore Classification

Dana Class:

08.02.01.07 (08)Multiple Oxides with Nb, Ta, and Ti

(08.02)where (A)2 (B2O6) (O,OH,F)

(08.02.01)Pyrochlore Group (Pyrochlore Subgroup; Nb>Ta;(Nb+Ta)>2(Ti)

08.02.01.01 Pyrochlore (Na,Ca)2Nb2O6(OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.01.02 Kalipyrochlore (H2O,Sr)(Nb,Ti)(O,OH)6•(H2O,K) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.01.03 Bariopyrochlore (Ba,Sr)(Nb,Ti)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.01.04 Yttropyrochlore-(Y) (Y,Na,Ca,U)1-2(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 2/m 3

08.02.01.05 Ceriopyrochlore-(Ce) (Ce,Ca,Y)2(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.01.06 Plumbopyrochlore (Pb,Y,U,Ca)2-xNb2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.01.07 Uranpyrochlore (U,Ca,Ce)2(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.01.08 Strontiopyrochlore* Sr2Nb2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

08.02.01.09 Bismutopyrochlore! (Bi,U,Ca,Pb)1x(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH)•n(H2O) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

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

04.D - Metal:Oxygen = 1:2 and similar

04.DH -With large (ï¿½ medium-sized) cations; sheets of edge-sharing octahedra

04.DH.15 Alumotungstite (W,Al)(O,OH)3(?) Unk Cubic

04.DH.15 Betafite (Ca,U)2(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Ferritungstite (K,Ca,Na)(W,Fe)2(O,OH)6•(H2O) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Cesstibtantite (Cs,Na)SbTa4O12 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Bismutomicrolite (Bi,Ca)(Ta,Nb)2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Ceriopyrochlore-(Ce) (Ce,Ca,Y)2(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Bariopyrochlore (Ba,Sr)(Nb,Ti)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Bariomicrolite Ba(Ta,Nb)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Calciobetafite Ca2(Ti,Nb)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Jixianite Pb(W,Fe)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Plumbomicrolite (Pb,Ca,U)2Ta2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Kalipyrochlore (H2O,Sr)(Nb,Ti)(O,OH)6•(H2O,K) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Plumbopyrochlore (Pb,Y,U,Ca)2-xNb2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Strontiopyrochlore* Sr2Nb2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Uranmicrolite (U,Ca)2(Ta,Nb)2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Pyrochlore (Na,Ca)2Nb2O6(OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Microlite (Na,Ca)2Ta2O6(O,OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Natrobistantite (Na,Cs)Bi(Ta,Nb,Sb)4O12 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Plumbobetafite (Pb,U,Ca)(Ti,Nb)2O6(OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Stibiomicrolite (Sb,Ca,Na)2(Ta,Nb)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Stannomicrolite (Sn,Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb,Sn)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Stibiobetafite (Sb,Ca)2(Ti,Nb,Ta)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Uranpyrochlore (U,Ca,Ce)2(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH,F) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Bismutopyrochlore! (Bi,U,Ca,Pb)1x(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH)•n(H2O) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Fluornatromicrolite! (Na,Ca,Bi)2Ta2O6F F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Yttrobetafite-(Y) (Y,U,Ce)2(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6(OH) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

04.DH.15 Yttropyrochlore-(Y) (Y,Na,Ca,U)1-2(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH)7 F d3m 2/m 3

04.DH.15 Elsmoreite! WO3•0.5(H2O) F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

Other Uranpyrochlore Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic3) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Uranpyrochlore :
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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Uranpyrochlore

(U,Ca,Ce)2(Nb,Ta)2O6(OH,F)
Dana No: 08.02.01.07 Strunz No: 04.DH.15
Locality:

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