Oppenheimerite Very rare uranium mineral
Oppenheimerite Category Sulfate mineral Formula Na2 (UO2 )(SO4 )2 •3H2 O IMA symbol Ohm Crystal system Triclinic Crystal class Pinacoidal (1 ) (same H-M symbol ) Space group P 1 Unit cell a = 7.96, b = 8.20, = 2 Color Pale greenish-yellow Crystal habit prismatic Cleavage {11 0}, {011} and {101}, good Fracture Irregular Mohs scale hardness2.5 Luster Vitreous Streak White Diaphaneity Transparent Density 3.36 (calculated) (approximated) Optical properties Biaxal (+) Refractive index nα=1.54, nβ=1.63, nγ=1.59 (approximated) Pleochroism Very pale greenish-yellow (X), pale greenish-yellow (Y), greenish-yellow (Z) 2V angle 72o (measured) Ultraviolet fluorescence Greenish-white Other characteristics Radioactive References
Oppenheimerite is a very rare uranium mineral with the formula Na2 (UO2 )(SO4 )2 •3H2 O. Chemically related minerals include fermiite , natrozippeite , plášilite , belakovskiite and meisserite . Most of these uranyl sulfate minerals were originally found in the Blue Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, US. The mineral is named after American Theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer .
Association and origin
Oppenheimerite is associated with other sulfate minerals: fermiite , bluelizardite , wetherillite , blödite , chalcanthite , epsomite , gypsum , hexahydrite , kröhnkite , manganoblödite , sideronatrite , and tamarugite .
Crystal structure
The crystal structure of oppenheimerite is of a new type. It contains chains of the (UO2 )(SO4 )2 (H2 O) composition, connected with two types of sodium polyhedra.
References
↑ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols" . Mineralogical Magazine . 85 (3): 291– 320. Bibcode :2021MinM...85..291W . doi :10.1180/mgm.2021.43 S2CID 235729616 . 1 2 3 4 Kampf, A.R., Plášil, J., Kasatkin, A.V., Marty, J., and Čejka, J., 2015. Fermiite, Na4(UO2)(SO4)3·3H2O and oppenheimerite, Na2(UO2)(SO4)2·3H2O, two new uranyl sulfate minerals from the Blue Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA. Mineralogical Magazine 79(5), 1123-1142 1 2 3 "Oppenheimerite: Oppenheimerite mineral information and data" . Mindat.org . Retrieved 2016-03-10 .↑ "Fermiite: Fermiite mineral information and data" . Mindat.org . Retrieved 2016-03-10 .↑ "Natrozippeite: Natrozippeite mineral information and data" . Mindat.org . Retrieved 2016-03-10 .↑ "Plášilite: Plášilite mineral information and data" . Mindat.org . Retrieved 2016-03-10 .↑ "Belakovskiite: Belakovskiite mineral information and data" . Mindat.org . Retrieved 2016-03-10 .↑ "Meisserite: Meisserite mineral information and data" . Mindat.org . Retrieved 2016-03-10 .↑ "Blue Lizard Mine, Chocolate Drop, Red Canyon, White Canyon District, San Juan Co., Utah, USA - Mindat.org" . Mindat.org . Retrieved 2016-03-10 .
Radioactive